A MAN who was given 12 months to live is preparing to take on a skydive with his son to raise funds for The Long House in Holsworthy.

Paul Humphries, 57, from Holsworthy, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, but has not let his terminal diagnosis stop him living life to the full. Paul has been married to his wife Georgia for 24 years. They have an 18-year-old son, Aarron, and a 21-year-old daughter, Olivia.

Paul’s next daring challenge will be a sponsored freefall from 15,000ft next month with his son. All the money raised will go to the North Devon Hospice, which has provided support for him and his family throughout his illness.

After creating an online fundraising page, Paul raised over £500 in just 12 hours, and he has surpassed £1,200 in just a week. He said: “I always think that there are people worse off than me, so I just get on with things. I saw the skydive advertised on the back of the North Devon Hospice newsletter and thought that would be a great way to give something back. They’ve been great to me and have provided a lot of support. I’ll be jumping with my son Aarron and we’re both really looking forward to it. My friends have been generous so far but I hope to raise as much as I possibly can.”

Paul has accessed support from the hospice’s Holsworthy outreach centre The Long House. He said: “I’ve had consultations with Brendan and Lisa, the community nurses, and they are great because they can listen to my concerns and make sure I’m getting what I need. I’ve also been to The Long House for come complementary therapies, which are ideal for relaxation. I’ll be going along more in the future and hope to meet people who are in a similar situation to me, hopefully of a similar age, just to buddy up with. Support like that from people in the same boat will be really important going forward.”

More than 250 people have been supported at The Long House since.