HAVING watched her son battle for survival, one Hampshire mum took the plunge to thank those who saved him.

Sarah Cross braved a 10,000ft tandem parachute jump to raise money for the Daily Echo-backed Red & White Appeal.

She was joined by her younger son Fergus, friends and nursing staff from Southampton General Hospital, together raising £10,000 to help fund a specialist day case unit for patients with blood disorders.

Sarah’s eldest son Ben, 23, was born with a rare hereditary bone marrow disorder and two years ago needed a lifesaving bone marrow transplant after falling ill.

While waiting for a match he visited the hospital’s haematology unit three times a week for platelet transfusions for four months.

After having the transplant, Ben had to spend months on the unit while he was battling glandular fever.

With Ben making a full recovery his family wanted to take the plunge to thank all the staff that helped keep him alive and help the appeal reach its £2.2m target.

Sarah said: “We can’t praise the nurses and doctors on the haematology unit enough.

“When considering the pain and suffering Ben went through, to sit on the edge of an aeroplane at 10,000ft and jump was not a problem.”

Veryan Grant, director of Southampton Hospital Charity, said the money would make a “real difference”.