Bereaved dad Jamie Berrisford jumped 15,000ft out of a plane as a tribute to his son, Harvey, to raise money for Derian House Children’s Hospice.
Jamie’s son Harvey passed away aged four in January 2024 and was laid to rest in one of Derian House’s special cold rooms, giving his family more precious time to spend with him.
“After everything Derian House has done for us, I decided I was going to sign up for Dive for Derian,” said Jamie, who took the leap just six months after saying goodbye to his son.
“I want to encourage more people to take part in the skydive. Not only is it a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but you’re helping to raise money to make sure families like mine can get the support they need during difficult times. I honestly don’t know what some of us parents would do without places like Derian House.”
The Dive for Derian returns this summer, with skydiving spaces still available on Sunday 17 August for those that want to sign up.
Strapped to a skydiving instructor, daredevils taking part will experience speeds of 120mph as they plummet to the ground at Black Knights Parachute Centre in Lancaster.
“I did the skydive for Harvey – Derian means so much to us,” said Jamie, who lives in Cartmel, Cumbria and has two daughters, Annabel, eight, and Hallie, two.
“When we got up 15,000ft in the air, I got quite emotional. You can see for miles – it was very tranquil, and I knew I was doing it for all the right reasons. Falling out of the plane is a hard feeling to explain. It was an out-of-body experience.”
Jamie skydived with his sister Kelsey, brother-in-law Matt, and friend Nicola in July 2024, and together their group raised £4,000.
“Derian House has been huge for us, it’s an amazing place,” said Jamie.
“We knew if Harvey went to Derian that we would have no worries and that he would be spoilt and have an amazing time. There was so much love. We knew it would be fully safe and that Harvey would be well looked after.
“We have had respite breaks, giving us chance to spend more quality time with our children and each other. We were lucky to go on a Derian Holiday to Ribby Hall Village. It was incredible to have that time with Harvey and with our family – to relax and do things together.
“When Harvey passed away, we used a Sunflower Room and to spend that extra time with him meant the world to us. Derian House offered myself and the girls a flat for the week, supporting us and making sure we ate during our time there.
“I go to the Derian dads bereavement group. It’s a safe space where we can talk, or just listen if we want to, over a takeaway. It’s a lovely group, but it’s also a group none of us wants to be a part of. I don’t speak to many people about Harvey, but I feel comfortable talking about him with the other dads. I always leave feeling a little bit better.”
It’s comforting to know that even though your child is no longer using Derian’s services, that you’re still part of the family.”
Jamie was one of 357 thrill seekers who have jumped out of planes in Dive for Derian since 2019 – raising £161,790 overall for Derian House Children’s Hospice.
Kerry Salmon, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “Each year we are amazed by our incredible supporters who are willing to throw themselves out of a plane for Derian House. Their fearlessness has helped raise an incredible amount of money that will go towards vital care for our children and their families.
“It will cost £6million to run services at Derian House in 2025, so we rely on the bravery and kindness of our supporters who take part in events like these to help children whose lives are too short.
“There’s still time to take part in our most popular fundraising event – Dive for Derian – this summer, and we want you to get involved! Sign up for a skydive and experience amazing views while making a memory you will never forget.”
Derian House cares for more than 400 babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West, helping them to make the most of every moment.
