Liz’s decision to take on a tandem skydive for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation comes from a deeply personal place. She wanted to support a charity she feels is less well known than others, yet one that made a real difference during one of the most devastating moments of her life. When Doug was first diagnosed, the information they received included a Roy Castle booklet, which they both found incredibly helpful and supportive – something Liz never forgot.
A lifelong love story
Liz and Doug met at secondary school when she was 15 and he was 16. They started going out, got married at 21, and have now spent almost their entire lives together. Doug is her best friend and soulmate – someone she cannot imagine life without. Receiving his terminal diagnosis at just 58 was shattering for them both.
Living with lung cancer
Lung cancer has changed everything for their family, yet Liz explains that “it’s not all bad.” Doug stepped away from the business he had built over 25 years, passing it on to their youngest son. Skiing, once a huge part of their family life, is no longer possible, but they’ve created new routines – walking the dogs together, staying active, and enjoying the simple gift of time. Doug has even developed a love for cooking, treating Liz to home-cooked dinners every evening.
Taking the leap
Deciding to go ahead with the skydive was terrifying for Liz (and still is) but she keeps reminding herself that if her 78-year-old aunt could do it, she can too.
A moving fundraising journey
Liz describes the fundraising experience as emotional and deeply moving. The generosity from family, friends, and even people she barely knows has been astounding. Reading the donation messages has become one of her favourite parts of the journey. Hitting milestones – like £1,000 and then £2,000 – felt incredible, and she hopes they might even reach £3,000, despite how tough things are for so many people.
Surrounded by support
Liz’s family have been her biggest supporters, but she emphasises that kindness has come from everywhere. Doug has helped share the fundraising link, and their sons have rallied their friends too. Liz is grateful for every single act of support:
“It makes you realise there are so many good people out there.”
Doug is doing well as he prepares for his 15th treatment cycle. He has had ups and downs, but overall, he’s in a good place. Watching the fundraising grow has given him something positive to focus on. Liz believes Doug has learned that life can still be good after a diagnosis – it isn’t all doom and gloom. He tries to live in the moment, enjoying each day as much as he can.
Looking ahead to skydive day
As the date approaches, Liz admits she’s very nervous – but excited too. She hopes the skydive becomes a special memory for their family, something they’ll cherish forever.
What she hopes others will take away
Liz wants her challenge to raise awareness that lung cancer deserves just as much attention, compassion, and understanding as other cancers. Too many people still see lung cancer as self-inflicted, and she is determined to challenge that stigma. “No one deserves to get cancer,” she says. Living with it affects your life every single day, and people deserve support — not judgment. The fundraising journey has shown her how much people genuinely care.
A message to other families
To others going through something similar, Liz shares a message of honesty and hope. It is incredibly hard – every morning begins with the reality of cancer. But you can still have a good life.
It means adapting and changing, but it also brings out the best in people. For Liz, the love, care and support they’ve experienced outweigh the negatives tenfold:
“We are closer as a family now than we have ever been.”