Millie decided to do a charity skydive as a way of giving back. After receiving mental health support herself, she wanted to be able to help others. Her GoFundMe page has already raised £600 and there are still more donations coming in. The funds will help us to continue to provide well-being support and services across West Sussex.
The charity skydive took place on September 16 in the skies above Salisbury. Having reached an altitude of 15,000 ft, Millie bravely stepped out of the aeroplane. She was tethered to an instructor while another diver caught breath-taking footage of her descent. She experienced a minute of freefall before the parachute opened and she drifted safely back down to earth.
Down below, her family was watching. Her mum Sally said: “It was amazing. Out of everyone there that day, she was the youngest person. On the plane, they held her hand out and there was no shaking whatsoever. They couldn’t believe she wasn’t scared at all. Me and her dad couldn’t sleep the night before, we were so worried. But I knew she would do it because she was so determined. It was a very emotional day. We were all so proud of her.”
Besides raising money for charity, the jump seems to have been a really positive experience for Millie. But what was going through her mind when she stepped out of the plane? “Literally nothing - but in a good way,” she explained. “I thought I was going to get scared on the way up on the plane, but I actually didn’t. I think that was because I really wanted to do it. And because I managed to do it all on my own, I feel like I can do a bit more now. I’ve since noticed that when I need to go to do stuff on my own it’s not as bad, I don’t really think about it as much.”
To donate to Millie’s fundraiser please visit her GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/86af354b