An exhilirating 10,000ft skydive has helped an Arbroath mum raise more than £1,000 for Down’s Syndrome Scotland.
Jacqueline Watson’s son Logan was born with the condition three years ago and her family has received advice and support from the charity.
She said she was thrilled to have raised so much for a group that has provided valuable information as well as running several fun days for youngsters with the condition and their families.
Jacqueline, 22, completed the skydive in Glenrothes on Sunday watched by Logan, her husband Scott and their one-year-old son Kai.
She said: “I wanted to give something back to Down’s Syndrome Scotland, who have been a great support. My target was £500, so I’m absolutely delighted with the total.
“We go once a month to a meeting in Newport. You don’t feel so alone when you see other children the same and it’s been really useful to be able to speak to other parents at these events.
“I got a last-minute cancellation for the skydive, so I didn’t have too much time to get too nervous.
“It was amazing going down. It was a freefall for the first 5,000ft then I did a bit of steering of the parachute on the way down.”
Logan, who attends Inverbrothock Nursery, developed vision problems a few months after he was born and has undergone three cataract operations.
Jacqueline said he had almost lost his vision completely in one eye, which has got weaker with each successive operation. He has also had several failed operations to implant a bone-anchored hearing aid.
“He’s been through about 12 operations in total,” she said. “The hearing aid operation isn’t taking at the moment but we are going to try again in July to help moderate his hearing loss.
“The cataract operations haven’t worked, unfortunately and his vision is getting worse.
“He’s got a cane and a buddy dog, Faye, from Guide Dogs for the Blind, that he loves. Buddy dogs have gone through the guide dog training but not quite made it to be a full guide dog.
“She’s a very good companion to Logan. It’s helped him with his confidence because he speaks to her. Despite everything he’s been through, he’s still a happy wee guy.”