‘We are all mothers of an angel’: Five mothers who became close friends after losing their children to brain tumors complete a joint skydive after meeting in a Facebook support group
Five mothers who became close friends after losing children to brain tumors have jumped out of a plane together.
Louise Fox, 49, from Barton-le-Clay in Bedfordshire, started connecting online with other mothers caring for children with tumors after son George was diagnosed with glioblastoma at the age of 13.
During his treatment, Louise met Niki O’Dea Patel, 42, from Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Nikki Treharne, 52, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, Clair Todd, 48, from Blyth, Northumberland and Katie Dove, 46, from Worth, Kent. .
All of their children were diagnosed with different types of brain tumors and they met on different Facebook pages.
The mothers chatted regularly on WhatsApp, sharing treatment options and supporting each other, along with three other mothers in the same position.
Five mothers who became close friends after losing children to brain tumors jumped out of a plane together (L-R: Clair Todd, Louise Fox, Nelly Crick, Niki O’Dea Patel, Natasha Taylor, Imogen Gaskell, Rebecca Gaskell, Nikki Treharne and Katie Pigeon)
All eight children died between 2020 and 2022, and the mothers formed a strong friendship to help each other through their grief.
They created the page Forever Mums of Brain Tumor Angels and eventually all met in person minutes before five of them jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feet.
Their jump raised £70,700 for the Tessa Jowell Foundation, a brain cancer charity.
Louise said: ‘We are all mothers of an angel and the skydive helped us feel closer to them.
‘The loss of George was indescribable. I came up with the idea for the jump.
‘I’m definitely afraid of heights, but I really wanted to push our limits.
“No one else knows what it’s like to go through this and we are all part of the same club that no mother wants to belong to.
‘It was incredible and so emotional when we all met.
‘I feel so connected to these mothers through our journeys and grief – it was a very special day.’
Louise Fox, 49, from Barton-le-Clay in Bedfordshire, started connecting online with other mothers caring for children with tumors after son George was diagnosed with glioblastoma at the age of 13
Their jump raised £70,700 for the Tessa Jowell Foundation, a brain cancer charity
Imogen Gaskell, Grace’s sister, and Katie Dove, Evie’s mother, also jumped from a plane
All the mothers after their skydive (from left to right: Nelly Crick, Clair Todd, Nikki Treharne, Nath, Louise Fox, Nikki O’Dea Patel, Imogen Gaskell, Katie Dove, Rebecca Gaskell)
Louise’s son George was 13 when he died from a brain tumor in April 2022, after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
While he was receiving treatment, Louise met Niki O’Dea Patel on Facebook, whose eldest son Shay, 13, was diagnosed with a similar tumor in 2018: a seizure.
Niki said: ‘We were lucky to get 22 months. He passed in September 2020, but it is not good enough.
‘Louise and I became very close because our sons were the same age.
‘I started a charity in his name – Shay’s Smile – and we managed to raise more than £250,000 for research.’
Nikki Treharne’s son Ethan, 17, battled a brain tumor called glioblastoma for two years before passing away in November 2021.
Katie Dove started a charity – the Evie Dove Foundation – after her 13-year-old daughter Evie was diagnosed with CMMRD, a gene mutation that predisposes children to developing brain tumors.
Evie died 11 months later in April 2021.
Clair Todd joined the group after her son Connor, 15, died in October 2021 from a medulloblastoma brain tumor.
She said: ‘Louise bought us into this Facebook group together and we have helped each other through the toughest of times.’
Rebecca Gaskell, Grace’s mother, and Louise Fox, George’s mother, beamed for a selfie
Niki O’Dea Patel, mother of Shay, who was diagnosed with a tumor in 2018 after a seizure
Rebecca Gaskell, 48, from Rickmansworth, Buckinghamshire, (left) whose daughter Grace battled the same tumor for two years and died in November 2020 aged 14
The skydive took place on October 14, 2023 at Sibson Airfield, Peterborough, and the mother said they felt ‘closer’ to their children ‘in heaven’
Katie Dove started a charity – the Evie Dove Foundation – after her 13-year-old daughter Evie was diagnosed with CMMRD, a gene mutation that predisposes children to developing brain tumors
Three other mothers from their group came on the day to meet the rest of the group for the first time, but were unable to jump due to health reasons.
Rebecca Gaskell, 48, from Rickmansworth, Buckinghamshire, whose daughter Grace battled the same tumor for two years and died aged 14 in November 2020.
Natasha Taylor, 29, from Luton, Bedfordshire, whose only child Renai, 11, died from a diffuse midline glioma tumour, joined the friendship group.
Nelly Crick, 32, from Elmswell, Suffolk, lost her youngest son, Harry, in October 2021, aged two.
She said: ‘Life has never been the same and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.’
All the mums at the airport L-R: (Clair Todd, Louise Fox, Nelly Crick, Niki O’Dea Patel, Natasha Taylor, Imogen Gaskell, Rebecca Gaskell, Nikki Treharne and Katie Dove)
Katie Dove (Evie’s mother) and Louise Fox (George’s mother) enjoy a glass of prosecco after their skydive
Clair Todd joined the group after her son Connor, 15, died from a medulloblastoma brain tumor in October 2021
Nelly’s husband Matt, 35, Rebecca’s daughter Imogen, 18, and Natasha’s partner Nath, 30, jumped in their place.
The skydive took place on October 14, 2023 at Sibson Airfield, Peterborough, and the mother said they felt ‘closer’ to their children ‘in heaven’.
Pascale Harvie, president and CEO of JustGiving, cheered on the mothers.
She said: ‘I am inspired by the Angel Mums and how they have channeled their pain into raising awareness and vital funds to help other children, in memory of their own.
‘We’ve seen an outpouring of admiration and love for the Angel Mums on JustGiving – Congratulations Angel Mums, you are extraordinary.’
Donate visit www.justgiving.com/page/angelmums