A HAMPSHIRE mum is preparing to jump off the side of a 60ft hospital building to thank the charity which helped her family deal with the loss of her son.

Linda Pickering, from Eastleigh, is not usually one for daredevil antics but knowing the vital lifeline Clic Sargent is for grieving families struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one to cancer, she didn’t think twice about taking the plunge.

The mum-of-three knows the money she raises through her abseil down Southampton General Hospital will ensure other families will get the invaluable care and support which helped her heartbroken family pick up the pieces after her eldest son lost his battle with cancer.

That is why she is backing the Daily Echo’s Every Step Appeal, to raise £40,000 for the children’s cancer charity, to ensure they are there for ten families faced with such a devastating diagnosis.

Matt was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer when he was 20 years old, and doctors gave him just six to nine months to live.

Determined to get as much out of that time as possible, car mad Matt, his two younger brothers and his parents, enjoyed a year jam-packed full of motoring adventures which saw him take to some of the most famous racetracks in the country.

But his death, almost a year after his diagnosis, was when Clic Sargent stepped in to help his family get to grips with their loss, especially his youngest brother Simon, who was just 14 at the time.

Linda, who will be one of 98 people taking part in the sponsored abseil on February 5, said: “What many don’t realise is that they are there for families afterwards and that is why this appeal is so important.

“Sometimes parents aren’t the best people to help their children, because at a time like this, either they are finding it hard to cope too or they are just too close for a child to open up to.”

To sponsor Linda visit uk.

virginmoneygiving.com/lindapickering.