Skydiving at seventeen: Teagan’s leap of gratitude for mum’s care
Seventeen-year-old Teagan Sumner from Derby isn’t your average sixth form student — this weekend, she’ll be jumping out of a plane in a daring skydive to raise funds for the high dependency ward at the Royal Derby Hospital and, for Teagan, it’s personal.
Back in 2022, her mum, Mandy was treated for breast cancer. Then in November 2024, Mandy faced another major health scare when she was admitted to the Royal Derby Hospital’s high dependency ward with a pulmonary embolism. It was a tense time for the family, but Mandy remembers the care she received with gratitude and admiration.
“Considering how busy and difficult it must be for staff on the ward, they were always asking if I needed anything and would lighten the mood, bringing a bit of normality,” Mandy tells us. Teagan agrees, “It was a difficult time for our family, but seeing my mum so well looked after made it so much easier.”
It was during her hospital stay that Mandy picked up one of our charity newsletters and spotted a section on fundraising. She jokingly turned to Teagan and asked, “Are you going to do the skydive?” Without hesitation, Teagan said yes!
As the big day approaches, Teagan says she’s “Cool, calm and collected now, but the night before will be different! I am excited, and I’ve received so much support”. That support has been overwhelming and they’ve already raised over three times their original target. “We weren’t expecting to get such a big response,” Mandy says proudly.
Bravery runs in the family; Mandy’s sister once took on a skydive in memory of their mum, and she’s been showing Teagan the video to help her prepare. “She said she would do it again in a heartbeat,” Mandy adds. Teagan’s entire family will be cheering her on this weekend and plan to celebrate together afterwards.
Jill Matthews, Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity Chief Officer, said, “It’s great to see the younger generation putting themselves forward to raise money for our charity and wanting to make a difference.”
Thank you, Teagan, your courage and determination means the world to the Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity Team and everyone on the high dependency ward at the Royal Derby Hospital.
If you’d like to sponsor Teagan’s sky-high effort, please visit her JustGiving page here.
There are so many ways to support our charity, from playing our lottery to joining one of our events. As Teagan and Mandy say, “Just do it, not everyone has to jump out of a plane, you could have a bake sale — it all helps.”
We’re looking forward to catching up with Teagan, Mandy, and all of our brave charity participants taking on the skydive on May 17th, 2025.
Feeling inspired? Bookings for our 2026 skydive are already open! Visit Skydive 2026 – DBHC to find out more.