Over a year after his death, the legacy of Melksham right-to-die campaigner Tony Nicklinson is still going strong, as the people who knew him continue to raise money and awareness in his memory.
Care assessor Michelle Platt, 50, who visited Mr Nicklinson in his home many times before he died in August last year, has raised over £7,000 for his appeal fund with a sponsored parachute jump.
Ms Platt, from Potterne, near Devizes, completed the tandem dive last Saturday at Old Sarum airfield near Salisbury, on her fourth attempt.
She said: “It was very good, very scary, but I was just glad to get it done.
“I’ve been waiting for seven weeks to do this; the first time I couldn’t do it as I had no medical certificate, then it kept being cancelled due to poor weather.”
Mr Nicklinson suffered from locked-in syndrome and campaigned to change the law on assisted suicide, and the money raised will go towards the campaign which is now led by his widow Jane. Ms Platt said: “I worked for a company training in-home carers, so I would go in and do assessments on care staff. I met Tony a few times and realised the complexities of his condition.
“After he died I knew Jane was going to carry on the campaign, and I wanted to help.”
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