Brave teenager takes on daring skydive to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland

Before the tandem jump has even taken place, Elizabeth (18) from the Muirhead area, has smashed her £2,500 fundraising target for Alzheimer Scotland.

On her justgiving fundraising page, Elizabeth posted: “I was eight my Gran was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s form of dementia.

“Over the long 10 years since then, she has very gradually become more and more unwell, and less and less herself.

“She started forgetting what we had just been talking about, then she forgot our names (that’s very difficult to understand at ten years old), then she forgot she ever had grandchildren and now (and such has been the case for at least five years) she doesn’t recognise me at all.

“At this moment in Scotland alone, 90,000 people like my Gran are living with Alzheimer’s, and thousands more family members like me are living with the extensive and really difficult consequences.

“It is exceedingly likely that you or your loved ones will feel the direct effects of Alzheimer’s in your lifetime.”

She added: “I am going to make sure that somewhere down the line, when a wee girl like me finds out that her Gran has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I have helped towards finding a cure, and you’re more than welcome to join me!

“I’m going to help by jumping out of a plane on November 19 - my Gran would tell me to be ‘very careful’ - and you can help by sponsoring me, if you like :)

“Alzheimer Scotland could spend a £15 donation on a face-to-face meeting between a Dementia Adviser and someone living with dementia, or their family, to provide much needed support and understanding.

The Post Office at Muirhead are taking donations and you can also donate at www.justgiving.com/elizabethsskydive