1:00pm Saturday 13th March 2010
By Michael Pickard
A young woman from Watford will throw herself from a plane to raise money for research into her grandmother's illness.
Natalie Glover, 21, will complete a skydive for the Alzheimer's Society, which works to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
She said: "My grandmother has Alzheimer's and I always wanted to do a skydive because I like adrenaline. I really wanted to try and raise money for charity.
“I have never done anything like this before. I thought it would be cool.”
There are 700,000 people in the UK who suffer from a form of dementia and Alzheimer's is the most common.
Natalie, an ante natal clinic clerk at Watford General Hospital, said it was the experience of seeing her grandmother in her care home alongside other Alzheimer's sufferers that prompted her into action.
She said: “She was fine. She had a stroke a few years ago and since then she's just deteriorated. Now I still see her but it's like she's not there anymore.
“But it wasn't just her. It was seeing other people in her care home with it. I thought that there's all these charities and this is something that needs attention as well."
Natalie, from Estcourt Road, Watford, is now preparing to jump from heights of 10,000 feet over Cambridgeshire countryside in June.
“Most people think I'm mad,” she said. “I work with a large group of people and they've all been really supportive.
“Alzheimer's affects so many people and it's like looking after yourself in the future as well.”
To sponsor Natalie, visit www.justgiving.com/natalies-sky-dive.
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