A woman from Hayle is set to jump out of a plane to raise money to fund the British Heart Foundation’s life-saving research.

Demelza Laity is raising money for the charity because it is close to her heart, as she suffered from serious defects as a child.

She had to undergo several operations, and had to travel to Bristol Royal Infirmary many times, sometimes staying in hospital for long periods of time.

Now that she is healthy again she wants to give something back, and so has been collection sponsorship money ahead of the big jump.

She said: “When I was a few days old someone noticed I wasn’t breathing properly. A midwife was called and I was rushed to Treliske hospital in Truro.

“They discovered that there was something seriously wrong with my heart and I was rushed to the Bristol Royal infirmary by ambulance.

“I had serious heart defects and had to undergo the first of many open-heart surgeries. I had many complications including a hole in the heart - trust me to be complicated.

“I’m a mixture of nervous and excited, but I can’t wait until the day of the jump. I have always liked to live life on the edge and it's only thanks to support from people like us that the BHF can create new treatments and discover new cures.”

The foundation relies entirely on donations to fund their ground-breaking research, which leads to new treatments being developed that could save lives.

Their Heart Flyers program is available nationwide and signing up has never been easier, with 21 skydiving venues across the UK.

Joe Petley, fundraising manager for Cornwall and Devon for the foundation, said: “We are looking forward to seeing Demelza taking on her challenge and know that her three children will be very proud of their mum.

“Skydiving is a fantastic way to do something unforgettable to raise vital funds to help the BHF continue its life saving research. Join our fight for every heartbeat, by signing up to take the plunge and become a Heart Flyer.”

Anyone who may want to support Demelza can do so by visiting justgivging.com and searching for Demelza Laity.