WHITWELL man Paul Culshaw has undertaken two further military parachute jumps to raise funds for the hospital that helped save his brother's life.

Paul initially jumped for D-Day earlier this year, and these latest ones, at Arnhem, were to remember British and Polish paratroopers that dropped on to the Renkum Heath and Driel dropzones 75 years ago as part of Operation Market Garden.

It was the largest airborne attack in history, involving 41,638 airborne troops as well as ground troops including Paul's grandfather — a Sherman tank driver in the Guards Armoured Division of XXX Corps.

The commemorative jumps were made from a genuine Douglas C47 called Dakota Drag Em Oot, a veteran of both the D-Day Operation Overlord and Arnhem Operation Market Garden.

Paul is raising funds for the Harefield Hospital after his brother Nick had a life-saving heart transplant there.

Nick has a hereditary degenerative heart defect, which almost killed him at the age of 16.

In the following years he had to undergo major heart surgery and had six heart ablations, experimental open-heart surgery and two pacemakers installed.

His condition deteriorated, with a transplant the only remaining option.

Paul said: "After a year's wait, thanks to the generosity of a bereaved family and the incredible skills of the hospital's surgical team, he was given the gift of life.

"A year on, he is starting to enjoy the sort of life that most of take completely for granted."

Paul's jumps were self-funded, so all money raised goes directly to hospital, specifically the Organ Care System, which keeps donated hearts and lungs in a warm, functioning state outside the human body.

Donations can be made at tinyurl.com/y3gflugx or by sending a cheque to the Harefield Hospital Charity, c/o Sallinder Rai, Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, Harefield, UB9 6JH.

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.