A DAREDEVIL mum has faced her fears in a bid to raise thousands for the hospice that cared for her terminally-ill daughter.

Dee Anderson, from Brentwood, took to the skies in a charity wing walk on Saturday, October 15 to raise money for Little Havens Hospice in Thundersley, where her daughter Katie was cared for before she died in 2015, aged 13.

Speaking on the day, Dee said, “This morning I woke up feeling quite emotional. I had shed numerous tears by 10am over the chance of spending a few minutes nearer to Katie than I had been for the last 14 months.

“Although my heart is breaking every day since Katie left this earth, today I embarked on a journey that has raised more than £2,000 for Little Havens.

“I have been blessed with the help from so many charities over the last five years but Little Havens has been my lifeline from the first day of Katie’s treatment right through to her final breath.

“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for every single pound you have so kindly donated.”

Katie was 18 months old when she was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic condition that causes non-cancerous growths to grow along the nerves.

When she was nine years old, a growth was found at the top of Katie’s spinal cord and she had to have several rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Sadly, despite the treatment, Katie died at Little Havens Hospice on August 20, 2015.

Dee added: “When you’ve got a poorly child you think you’re the only one who can look after them but we could take her to Little Havens and leave her there knowing she couldn’t be in any safer hands.

“In Katie’s final days they didn’t just look after her, they looked after me and all my family.

“Little Havens needs to carry on for years and years and be supported by as many people as possible because it’s such a special place and certainly not what you think. It’s a home from home, better than that because not only are the children taken care of but families as well.”

Little Havens is part of Havens Hospices which also incorporates Fair Havens Hospice for adults. They care for children and adults with life-limiting conditions, providing respite, symptom management and end of life care, completely free of charge for as long as is needed.

Havens Hospice’s next Wing Walk will be on Saturday, June 10, 2017. For more information you can visit havenshospices.org.uk/events