Skydive Black Isle woman takes Lyme disease awareness push to new heights
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A ROSS-SHIRE woman devastated by a crippling condition which lay undiagnosed for years took her awareness-raising campaign to new heights – by jumping out of a plane.
Morven-May MacCallum committed herself to a skydive to boost the coffers of charity Lyme Disease UK.
The Black Isle-based sufferer of the tick-borne disease was left bed-bound for years and is still badly affected by the debilitating effects of the condition.
She has fought to raise awareness amongst the public at large through talks and by writing a book based on her experiences but upped the ante by fulfilling a tandem skydive which smashed her charity target pulling in more than £1200.
She said: “I’m very pleased to say that I’ve done the dive and what an experience it was! It was a huge challenge to overcome but it was completely worth it. The feeling of dangling over the edge of the plane and seeing nothing but the world below you, of falling into the nothingness and then gliding to earth, was an extraordinary sensation.
“This disease constantly makes me feel so burdened by the weight of my own being – everything is an effort and a struggle full of pain – but, strangely, while I was diving I felt weightless, which is something I’ve not felt since before I became ill 12 years ago and it was an amazing sensation. The first thing I said was: 'Can I go again?'"
A stubborn streak saw her complete the plunge at Skydive St Andrews after two earlier weather-related cancellations.
She said of the illness: "It's extremely unpredictable. I have no idea how I will feel from one day to the next but feel fortunate to have go this far compared to how I once was."
