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Peter plans charity jump
A BLIND man who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis will be taking on a huge challenge next month when he jumps out of a plane for charity.
Peter Dawson was diagnosed with the disease in 1984 but the fearless Seaford resident has not let it hold him back from doing the sponsored skydive for those in a similar position.
He will be taking part in a tandem jump at Headcorn airfield in Kent on June 14 to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The 46-year-old will be jumping out of a plane at 10,000ft before freefalling for the first 5,000ft and then releasing his parachute.
Peter, who has guide dog Morton to help him, first started experiencing problems with his eyes when he was in his early 20s.
He said, "I thought this could be corrected by glasses or medication, you can imagine my dismay when eventually I had to give up driving. If you ask any young man in his 20s to give up driving he will tell you how devastating it is — it is usually regarded as a punishment for somebody who breaks the law.
"When my vision problem was finally diagnosed I was told that inflammation on the optic nerve had caused damage and that this inflammation was being caused by Multiple Sclerosis. They told me that there was nothing else they could do to help me. At that moment I felt that my world had just collapsed."
For a while the Tudor Close resident kept the news of his diagnosis to himself. But in 1999 his vision grew so poor that he was no longer able to do his work properly and he finally lost his job.
It was after this that Peter decided to take a work retraining programme. He was supported by the Multiple Sclerosis Society after he contacted the Eastbourne branch as he needed funding for a computer.
Peter, who now works in administration for the adult social care department at East Sussex County Council, goes to a physiotherapy group every week at Eastbourne DGH and did not hesitate when someone asked him to join in with the skydive.
He said, "I just said 'Yes I'll do it'. I can be a little bit impulsive.
"There are three of us from the sessions doing it.
"I feel alright about it at the moment but when the doors on the plane open I might have a few butterflies."
Peter is hoping to raise more than 1,000 from the skydive.
He and his wife Pip have already raised money through sponsorship and have been supported by his colleagues who have been selling cakes and holding a raffle with items donated by people.
If you would like to sponsor Peter please call him on 898805 or send an e-mail to peter.dawsoneastsussex.gov.uk
joanne.smith@trbeckett.co.uk
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Weather for Eastbourne
Saturday 04 February 2012
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