ATTADALE mum Victoria O’Neill will take part in a death-defying skydive next Saturday to raise funds for people with sarcoma, a bone and soft tissue cancer most common in children and teens.

Eleven people will do the charity skydive at Jurien Bay on May 8, with Ms O’Neill hoping to raise at least $10,000 for Sock it to Sarcoma! a cancer charity that funds medical research into the disease and supports patients and their families.

In 2010 Ms O’Neill’s nine-year-old son Harry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.

“You can imagine being told ‘your child has cancer’ is every parent’s worst nightmare,” she says. 

“He had 18 rounds of chemo and limb salvage surgery to remove the tumour which was located in his left shoulder and humerus. 

“We also have another girl jumping called Grace Deluca who had Ewing’s sarcoma about four years previous to Harry, and at the time she was in kindy.”

Ms O’Neill has organised seven Sock it to Sarcoma! skydives since 2011.

“Everyone is paying for their jumps and any other outgoings over the weekend,” she says. 

“So all money donated goes directly to the charity with no administration fees taken out.

“There are various different events throughout the year which are organised to raise money, but these have been a bit limited due to the last year and covid-19. 

“We do an annual bike ride which happens towards the end of the year and various other events.” 

To make a donation to the skydive go to https://secure.sockittosarcoma.org.au/donate/