Family fulfil cancer patient's dying wish

The Exeter family of Sonny Hepburn, the skydiving Hospiscare patient, has fulfilled his dying wish.

Sonny, 71, continued skydiving despite being treated for cancer and was working towards achieving his skydiving C licence when he died in April. He was just four jumps away from his target of 200.

Now his family has completed the jumps and the licence is on the way.

Fiona Hepburn, Sonny’s daughter-in-law, said: “It was such an honour to be a part of helping dad to get his C licence.

"He was a very special person, one in a million, and having experienced my first ever skydive I certainly now know why he loved it so much. It's a feeling you could never describe!”

Sonny’s great grandson Conner Hunter, 16, said: “I was excited, I wasn’t nervous because I was doing it for my Great Grandad. I felt safe but was glad when I hit the ground. I’d love to do it again.”

The former Para was determined to continue life as normal despite his illness and in between his bouts of chemotherapy Sonny would meet his friends at Dunkeswell Airfield, near Honiton, and drive the bus picking up skydivers from the drop zone.

If he was well enough he’d do his own jump from 15,000 feet which included a minute of freefall before he had to pull his parachute. Sonny was aiming to achieve a level C skydiving licence - D is the top level.

“When I’m skydiving I get a real buzz, it’s exhilarating,” he said. “No matter how many times I do it I always get the same feeling. There are days when I forget I’ve got cancer.”

In September 2013 Sonny was given 6 to 12 months to live. He was cared for by Hospiscare community nurses at home and then on the ward at the city hospice.

The father of five, whose family live in Exwick, said: “I just need four more skydives to get that certificate,” he said. “Over the years I haven’t bothered with the licence but now I want to get it so I can jump in higher winds and do more manoeuvres.”

Also skydiving was Sonny’s daughter and grandson, Mark Hepburn. The family wore t-shirts with Sonny’s picture on the front and these words printed on the back, You finally got your C Licence.

Next year different members of the family hope to skydive in memory of Sonny.