Leah's skydive for Moorfields in sky

Leah and Nicci’s mum was diagnosed and treated for eye cancer at Moorfields. As a way of showing their thanks, Leah, Nicci and their godmother Andie took on a skydive to fundraise for Moorfields Eye Charity.

Leah and Nicci’s mum, Joanne, was diagnosed with eye cancer in February 2021 and is being treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Joanne said she has received outstanding care during her difficult recovery journey.

What is eye cancer:

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Eye cancer is an umbrella term that includes several different cancer types. The form of cancer someone has depends on the type of cell it starts in.

There are different parts of the eye and some of these are more likely to get cancer than others.

Forms of ocular cancer:

  • Choroidal naevi is a coloured growth at the back of the eye – essentially it is an eye freckle. It usually isn’t harmful but, like a freckle or mole on your skin, it can develop melanoma so your ophthalmologist or optometrist will want to examine it during regular check-ups.
  • Haemangiomas are benign lumps caused when a cluster of blood vessels form at the back of the eye. They can distort vision so need to be checked as they might need treatment.
  • Uveal melanoma is a rare malignant cancer, affecting just six people per million of the population. It develops from cells in the middle layer of tissue in the wall of the eyeball, called the uvea.
    • The uveal tract is made up of the choroid, ciliary body and iris.
    • Uveal melanoma can come from any of these components (e.g. choroidal melanoma).
    • Depending on the size of the tumour, treatment options include radiation therapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, or surgery.
  • Secondary deposits originate from cancers elsewhere in the body. These are usually a feature of advanced metastatic cancer. It is important to distinguish these from other forms of eye tumour to make sure patients can be offered the correct treatment.

They decided to give back and support Moorfields by taking on an exhilarating challenge. Along with their godmother, Andie, the siblings set up a fundraiser and challenged themselves to jump from a plane at 10,000ft and fly towards the ground at speeds of 120mph. 

Moorfields means a lot to me and my family because when you are in the situation of finding out someone close to you has cancer, you are going to need as much support as you can and that’s exactly what they gave my mum.

Leah Eden-Dalziel

Joanne holding Leah’s daughter, Trinity

The trio at the airfield for their first attempt which was delayed due to bad weather

On 23 July 2022, Leah, Nicci and Andie were set to jump all together. However, bad weather meant Leah and Nicci had to postpone their challenge, whilst Andie was able to complete it on the day.

On 11 August, Leah and Nicci were able to complete their skydive!