DARING dad James Archer is getting ready to take a 15,000ft leap of faith this month when he jumps from a plane with a team of friends to raise money for the Stroke Association.

Mr Archer, 30, of Higham, near Bury St Edmunds, has organised the skydive to help raise awareness of childhood strokes after his son Oliver had a stroke when he was born.

Oliver, now two, has since made a remarkable recovery from his illness.

Earlier this year, James and his wife Liz put together a family cookbook, called Oliver’s Kitchen, which features their son and his older sister Mia helping to cook some of their favourite recipes.

All profits from the sale of the book are being split between the Stroke Association and the neonatal unit at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury, where Oliver received treatment as a baby.

The idea developed from what was going to be a photobook for Mr Archer’s grandparents, Jane and William Smith. The book includes many of the family’s favourites and offers an insight into Oliver’s journey. His future development is uncertain, but the family remain positive.

Mr Archer has now set himself this further challenge to raise more money for the charity, which provides support for survivors and their families. He said: “I have never even thought of a skydive before, but having seen the great work that Stroke Association does I couldn’t resist the challenge.”

The family were thrown into turmoil after the stroke, the cause of which remains unexplained.

Mrs Archer said at the time: “You get visions of how your future is going to be and it all changes overnight really.

“When you go to hospital to have a baby you don’t think anything is going to go wrong.

“We have always been optimistic people and when you are faced with that you are trying to hold it together, but you are still thinking ‘what if he doesn’t make it?’”

The skydive takes place on Saturday, September 22, at Beccles, and there are still spaces available if anyone wants to join James’ team.

To find out more and to sponsor him go to the dedicated website www.justgiving.com/SkydiveforStroke

To find out more about Oliver’s Kitchen cookbook, or to buy a copy, visit http://www.olivers-kitchen.co.uk