'Proud' friend of inspirational boy who died from rare cancer to complete skydive in his 'legacy'

Georgia Bettam, from Portsmouth, will be taking to the skies tomorrow (July 13) to raise money for the charity, Teenage Cancer Trust, in memory of her friend Jack Beames. 

Jack was 22-years-old when he died at the beginning of this year from Ewing Sarcoma after years of battling ongoing treatment and diagnosis’. He 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.

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 added: “He really liked it there and was really comfortable. We went in to visit him and he showed us the chill out areas, which were really nice. He also made friends with other people his age who had cancer and who understood what he was going through. It made him feel less alone.

“I’d told Jack I wanted to do a skydive and he suggested that I did it for Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s nice that he knew that I’m doing the skydive for the charity. I may be scared on the day, but it’s nothing compared to what Jack had to go through.

“I originally set myself a target of raising £500, but I quickly exceeded that and my JustGiving page is now at over £1,200. Raising money for this charity is a way of saying thank you to the charity for keeping Jack and his family comfortable during the endless days and nights they spent there and to help others in the same situation Jack was in before he sadly lost his battle to cancer.

“Jack always wanted to raise awareness about cancer too, so I’m proud to be doing that in his legacy. He would encourage people to not take no for an answer if there were any symptoms that concerned them. We know our own bodies the best and know if something is wrong, so we need to get answers.”

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: “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.