A BRAVE teenager is preparing for a charity skydive to honour the memory of his “inspirational” mother, who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year.

Lizzie Parry

A BRAVE teenager is preparing for a charity skydive to honour the memory of his “inspirational” mother, who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year.

Dale James, 19, of Manor Road, will be plunging 10,000ft, reaching speeds of 120mph, to raise funds for St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich, where his mother was cared for.

Cherry James, 44, a nurse at Ipswich Hospital, died in January after suffering from cancer for three years.

While battling the disease Mrs James was dedicated to raising money for charity, running the London marathon for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, doing a bungee jump and completing the same sky dive her son is preparing for this weekend.

Inspired by his “mum in a million”, Dale, who is due to start a sports science degree at Essex University later this year after taking a year out to care for his mother, said he was keen to carry on her fundraising legacy.

He said: “I want to continue her charity work, which is why I am doing this event, especially an event that my mum had the guts to complete whilst having cancer.

“I am very much like my mum; I am an adrenalin junkie that she clearly proved to be. I know that when I jump out of that plane I will be making everyone I know, and my mum, very proud.”

So far, Dale has raised between £500 and £600 for the hospice. “I wanted to raise the money as a thank you to the hospice for all they did for my mum in January,” he said.

Dale will be completing the tandem skydive on Saturday at Old Buckenham airfield in Norfolk.