Ryan Travers was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in 2016, aged just 23. He passed away four days before his 25th birthday in February 2018, leaving behind a loving family, including his wife and an infant daughter.
This year, his siblings Jo and Gary and his nephew Jacob are taking on a 15,000ft skydive
on Sunday 2 April 2023, to mark the year Ryan would have turned thirty, fundraising for NorthCare, the official charity of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.
“We are raising money for the Haematology Ward at Salford Royal Hospital, a fantastic unit where Ryan spent a considerable amount of time following his diagnosis”, said Jo Blood, Senior Manager for Specialist Medicine at the Trust and Ryan’s older sister.
“We as a family have always been so appreciative of the care Ryan received from staff. The nurses looking after him developed a special bond, he trusted them and we feel that they treated him as one of their own, we knew he was in safe hands!”
The family are raising funds to purchase equipment above and beyond the NHS standard, to make patient’s stay in hospital more comfortable. “We know that patients like Ryan experience gruelling treatment regimes for months on the Unit, and we want to make a contribution that makes things that little bit more tolerable”, said Jo.
“We are delighted to be supporting Ryan’s family to fundraise for their upcoming skydive”, said Jess Pollard, Fundraising Officer for NorthCare Charity. “Raising money in memory can be a lovely shared experience for bereaved families, as well as having a huge positive impact on patients and staff across our hospitals.
“I would encourage the local community to get behind Jo, Gary and Jacob and donate to their fundraising page, and to get in touch if taking on a challenge to raise funds for your local NHS is something they’d like to do.”
To donate to Ryan’s family’s fundraising page, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jo-bailey-784.