Devoted daughter's frightening tribute

Nervous Nicole Steers hopes that the free fall parachute jump will raise over £5,000 for research into the disease that claimed the life of Simone at the age of 57.

Solicitor advocate Miss Steers said she wanted to do something that scared her the way her mother must have felt when she was told she had cancer.

"I reflected on that when thinking how to mark her passing and decided that I would do something that would really frighten me although my utter fear of heights cannot compare with what she must have felt knowing she was going to die."

Miss Steers, whose mother's home was in All Saints, Wolverhampton, continued: "My mum died from pancreatic cancer that unfortunately was found too late as it was at an advanced stage and treatment would not change the outcome. She sadly passed away within four weeks.

"The dreadfully low survival rate from this form of the disease has been the same for over 40 years because sadly only ten percent of patients are diagnosed in time. Pancreatic cancer has been underfunded and under-researched for decades."

Miss Steers who is employed by Waldrons Solicitors and lived in Wolverhampton from when she arrived in this country from Jamaica aged 17 until moving to her present home in Birmingham in 2011, will be jumping with her brother Geoffrey, 27, 33-year-old cousin Kevin Griffiths and two work colleagues who are all supporting the same cause , said: "They did not take a lot of persuasion but my sister Trudie thinks I am mad. She will be waiting on the ground having a cup of tea as I fall to earth."

The sponsored jump, during which she will be strapped to an instructor, is scheduled to take place in Nottingham on June 9.

Those wishing to donate to the cause can do so by visiting virginmoneygiving.com/NicoleSteers or doitforcharity.com/NSteers