YOURS Dad’s care inspires Jet to join trek

JET Ward-Henry was determined to help raise money for Marie Curie after her father died at the charity’s Cardiff and the Vale Hospice in July – just nine days after her graduation.

Though the 23-year-old works at a Barry gym, she admits to not being the most active of people – and so thought a trek through Sri Lanka would be exactly the sort of challenge to get people to sponsor her and raise donations for the terminal illness charity in memory of her dad.

Jet will be joined by 26 others – including hospice ambassador and television presenter Mariclare CareyJones, and four Marie Curie nurses – and a selection of them met at Treetops Adventure Golf in St David’s 2 to get into the spirit of the environment they will be trekking in.

Jet’s dad Marc Henry had lived with sarcoidosis for 26 years. The rare condition causes small patches of red and swollen tissue, called granulomas, to develop in the organs of the body. Marc’s heart and lungs were affected, and, over his final 18 months, he attended the hospice.

Jet praised the hospice team not only for the care her dad received, but also for the care her late grandmother had at the hospice six years ago, and support her grandfather also received.

“Dad loved being in the hospice,” said Jet. “He said it was like being in a five-star hotel without having to pay.

“I had wanted to do something then (when my grandmother died), but I was still quite young.

“I took some fundraising boxes for the funeral, and when me and my brother took them into the hospice to give them to the fundraising lady, that’s when I saw the poster for the trek. I asked if they possibly had any spaces left so I could join in to raise money. It’s totally out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to do something personal for the hospice and to Marie Curie.”

The group will head off on their trek on November 16 and are due to return on November 25.

To sponsor Jet, visit www.justgiving. com/fundraising/teamfatboymarchenry or for more information on signing up for an overseas trek, visit www. mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/charity-events/overseas-challenges