Flying high in memory of Yeya

Christopher Mudie (19), who attended Burntisland Primary and Balwearie High Schools, will undertake the challenge in March to raise money for Alzheimer’s Scotland.

And his much loved Yeya (Spanish for granny), Maria Ferrera Garcia, who originally came from Cuba but came to Burntisland in 1993 to live with her daughter Georgina and her three sons, of whom Christopher is the youngest, will be very much on his mind when he does the tandem jump.

Maria passed away very recently at the age of 93, after spending her last 20 months in Chapel Level Nursing Home where her family regularly visited her.

Christopher, a second year student of product design and innovation at Strathclyde University, had already been planning to do the fundraiser for the charity before she died.

“Yeya suffered from vascular dementia in recent years, which is similar to Alzheimers, and as a family we know just how difficult it can be to deal with such a horrible disease as this, so I wanted to do something for the charity,” he said.

“She was more than a granny to me because she helped to bring me and my brothers up, so we were very close. I think she would think I was mad doing something like this, but she would be very proud too.

“The university has a skydiving club which is available to all students who want to raise money for worthy causes, so I will be taking part in its Charichute event, jumping from 10,000 feet at Strathallan airfield on March 19 or 20, as the final date hasn’t been finalised.”

To help boost Christopher’s fundraising total visit: wwwjustgiving.com/Maria-Ferrer-Garcia.