A THRILL-SEEKER will embark on a sky-high challenge in honour of her father.

Angelique Blanchard, 37, from Broadwater, Worthing, will leap from a plane as a tribute to her dad, Paul, who died in December aged 68.

Paul Blanchard was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2013.

The condition causes the lungs to become scarred, leading to breathing difficulties.

Angelique says she is nervous about jumping out of a plane, but it will not be the biggest challenge she and her family have been through.

She said: “I’m scared of heights but skydiving will be nothing compared with what Dad and others with a terminal illness have to go through.

“I have never done anything like this before, so it will be a massive challenge.”

The day of the skydive, June 30, will be especially important for Angelique and her family, as it falls on what would have been her father’s 69th birthday, as well as her parents’ wedding anniversary.

Angelique will be jumping alongside her parents’ neighbour and family friend, Victoria Aspin.

Angelique said: “We will be supporting each other on our 10,000ft leap out of the sky.

“Victoria is jumping for her cousin, Mark Whittaker, who had worked as firefighter in New Zealand and died suddenly just days after his 45th birthday.”

Angelique will be jumping to raise money for St Barnabas House hospice, the care home that looked after her father in his final days

“In the last two weeks of Dad’s life and such a sad time in ours, he went into the hospice for end-of-life care,” she said.

“St Barnabas were so kind and accommodating. They supported my mum who was staying with him and also my brothers and me, who visited every day.

“The bereavement team have given us ongoing support which has helped with the difficult grieving period.

“Attending the day hospice each week gave Dad the chance to meet others like him with life-limiting illnesses; talk, read, play games and socialise, which he enjoyed immensely.

“One of his favourite days at the hospice was when the Harley-Davidsons came to visit and he got to enjoy a ride on the back of one.

“He loved this as in the past he enjoyed rides out on his motorbike with friends.”

To donate to Angelique’s skydive, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/angelique-blanchard