A Trowbridge mother tackled her fear of heights to do a sponsored skydive in aid of a charity which has supported her daughter who suffers from Crohn’s disease.

Childminder Maxine Armitage has raised around £1,200 for the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association by doing a tandem 15,000ft skydive in Netheravon, near Salisbury Plain, last month.

The charity has offered support to Miss Armitage’s nine-year-old daughter Daisy since she was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, earlier this year.

Miss Armitage said: “I’m terrified of heights but it really wasn’t too bad doing the skydive, as once you are up above the clouds, you don’t really realise just how high up you are – although I’m glad it was a tandem as I couldn’t have done it alone.

“CICRA is such a good cause to support and they’ve been really helpful to us since Daisy was diagnosed.”

Before Daisy was diagnosed with the condition she had to take a lot of time off from Bellefield Primary School, in Trowbridge, but over the summer she has been on a course of weekly injections and steroids which have stablised her condition.

Miss Armitage said: “Daisy missed a lot of school last year but they have been fantastic and supported her hugely.

“We are all really proud of Daisy, as her condition changes from one week to the next, but she hasn’t let it affect her – she’s still a bubbly little girl.”

As a special summer treat her mother took Daisy to see a performance of the Wizard of Oz on London’s West End last week.

Daisy has to have a series of tests each week to check on her condition, but Miss Armitage said Daisy’s older brothers Marcus, 21, Matthew, 21, and Josh, 19, have been a great support to her, as have her sisters Poppy, seven, and Rose, four.

Earlier this year, Miss Armitage’s family raised a further £600 for CICRA through a line-dance event held at Wesley Road Club in Trowbridge.

Next year Miss Armitage is planning to support the charity by abseiling off Cheddar Gorge.

For more information about CICRA visit www.cicra.org