Son's "amazing" abseil down Spinnaker Tower for dying Portsmouth mum
A son who abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower to raise funds for his dying mum has said it was an “amazing experience”.
Samuel Hill took the plunge on Sunday after finding out six weeks ago the devastating news that his mum Louise Hill, 60, was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach and bowel cancer despite living a “healthy life” where she was active and never smoked or drank alcohol.
Doctors have since revealed Louise may have just weeks left to live after the aggressive disease spread. The shocking news has led to her four sons and two daughters fundraising in a bid to give their mum the “farewell she deserves” at her funeral.
As part of their efforts, Samuel climbed down the Spinnaker Tower on Sunday in what he described as an “amazing experience”. So far nearly £2,300 has been raised of the £2,600 target.
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Another of Louise’s sons, Brad Hill, wrote on GoFundMe: “It breaks my heart to write this. There has been zero time to even process what is happening.
“Only six weeks ago, my mum was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach and bowel cancer. Yesterday we were told she may have just two months left with us. The cancer has spread aggressively, leaving no options for chemotherapy or any other treatment. We are now simply cherishing every day we have together.
“Two months ago I could never have imagined planning a funeral for my mum, who is only 60 years old. She never smoked, never drank, and lived an active, healthy life. It feels unbearably unfair.
“As a family we are doing everything we can to prepare and give her the farewell she deserves. None of us truly understood how expensive a funeral can be until now. There was no funeral plan in place, so the costs have fallen on myself and my siblings, and we are struggling to fully cover them. It could be a matter of weeks until we lose her now.”
He added: “Asking for help like this is something I never wanted to do. Sharing something so personal is incredibly hard. But I have to swallow my pride as this for my mum. We are losing her far too soon, and nothing could have prepared us for this.
“Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us give her the beautiful, heartfelt goodbye she deserves. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading and for any support you can offer.”
To donate go to: www.gofundme.com/f/53xhz-help-with-mums-funeral-costs