"I wanted to be brave": Devoted woman completes skydive in honour of late friend Jack Beames

Georgia Bettam, from Portsmouth, has completed a skydive for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of her friend Jack Beames who died earlier this year at the age of 22.

Jack was diagnosed with the sarcoma at the age of 14 and flew to America for proton beam therapy which got rid of the cancer and put him in remission for years. In 2022, Jack began experiencing nose bleeds and dizziness - and it was clear something was wrong. He was diagnosed with a rare sinonasal cancer and he underwent treated until August 2023. A few months later, at Christmas, he was told that two of his vertebrae in his back had collapsed due to cancer. The severity of the shocking diagnosis meant that there was no appropriate treatment to cure Jack’s cancer - and he sadly died in February of this year.

In a previous interview, Georgia said: “I met Jack three years ago through a car enthusiasts’ group. He had a blue fiesta ST which he called Cherry. We met up regularly and he loved his car so much and was always in it. We both loved cats and we bonded over that too.

“He wanted to do everything he possibly could and still went to the car meet ups. We struggled to get him out of his car.” Georgia has been fundraising for the charity because they played a vital role in Jack’s treatment over the years as he received most of his treatment at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Southampton General Hospital.”

Georgia took part in the charity skydive on Saturday, July 13 and she has managed to £1,530 in total for the charity. Every year across the South Coast, 110 young people aged 13-24 are diagnosed with cancer.  Like Jack, 80 per cent will be treated on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Southampton General Hospital, a bright welcoming area where young people can have private rooms and access to recreation facilities, which is staffed by specially trained nurses and youth support workers. 

Georgia said: “It was the best experience, and knowing it was to help people that are in the same position as Jack was the best feeling.

“I took a small heart made of Jack’s ashes up with me and the experience itself was indescribable.

“When we left the plane I had Jack in my mind, and nothing was holding me back, I wanted to be brave for him. I raised £1530 in total for Teenage Cancer Trust, and I would like to thank everyone for helping me along the way with my fundraising journey.

“Jack is loved and missed so much by his mum, dad, family and friends.” 

For more information about Teenage Cancer Trust, click here. To donate to Georgia’s fundraiser, click here.