Chestnut Tree House: Twin celebrates 18th birthday by skydiving with his mum to thank children's hospice for caring for his brother

Charlie Wilson-Mew wanted to do something memorable to celebrate the big day and include his twin Jack, who has a chromosome disorder.

He decided on skydiving and mum Diane Wilson, 54, agreed to join him, with Jack watching from the ground.

Diane said: ‘We thought it would be cool to raise some money for Chestnut Tree House to give something back on his behalf.

‘It makes a massive difference to lots of families. With so many hospital appointments and doctors, nurses and therapists coming to the house, life can feel very hectic. Going to Chestnut allows you to step back and catch your breath, and the staff truly are angels.’

Charlie and Jack were born six weeks premature after a normal pregnancy.

"Both were a decent weight, so we had no idea that anything was wrong with Jack,” says Diane. "The doctors thought all the issues he had with feeding and not meeting any of his milestones were due to him being premature.

"But we knew something wasn’t right. Jack had many different tests and eventually the genetics department at Great Ormond Street Hospital gave us the devastating news that he had a chromosome disorder.

"They said he was unlikely to be able to walk, talk, sit, understand, or feed normally and would need a gastrostomy. He was likely to have epilepsy and life expectancy was uncertain – so it was all pretty bleak.”

Not only were the doctors correct in their expectations, it became clear Jack also has poor vision.

‘But it’s certainly not bleak,’ says Diane. ‘He is a beautiful boy, full of smiles and general loveliness. He’s at his happiest with music playing and people stroking his hand – he loves anything tactile.

‘He giggles a lot and loves to be tickled. He’s very calm, laid-back and happy but he has also shown how much strength he has when things have got very scary with seizures, operations, and sepsis. He has shown what a strong fighter he is.’

The family lives in Fareham and their community nurse referred them to Chestnut Tree House, near Arundel, when Jack was four years old.

Initially, Diane was too nervous for Jack to stay over on his own, so she, Charlie, and her other son Harry would stay in a family room upstairs.

‘I knew I could nip down to see Jack whenever I wanted, which was a lot, and be reassured he was okay and being looked after really well,’ said Diane.

‘It was so nice for us to be able to stop, breathe and relax a bit, and we were cared for and fed very well, too. As he got older, I felt confident leaving Jack at Chestnut Tree House for longer stays on his own, knowing I could call to check whenever I wanted and would never be made to feel I was a nuisance.’

Charlie wanted to do something special for their 18th birthday in September, so instead of going on holiday or out for drinks with friends, he chose skydiving and raised more than £1,300 for the children’s hospice.