Steve Hyde, a 68-year-old former paratrooper from Hartshill in Nuneaton, will undertake a charity parachute jump on 25 September with the RAF Red Devils display team. He will be joined by his daughter Chez.
Mr Hyde, who has previously raised over half a million pounds for charity, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) two years ago. He stated that receiving the diagnosis made him feel at his "lowest" and initially interpreted the word 'hospice' as signifying the end of his life.
Following his diagnosis, Mr Hyde considered taking his own life but stopped when he thought about his dog. He credits his MND support worker from the Mary Ann Evans Hospice, Debbie, with helping him through this period. Debbie's husband also suffered from MND, which Mr Hyde said allowed her to relate to his experiences.
The Mary Ann Evans Hospice, located at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, needs a minimum of £5,000 per day to continue its services. A hospice support worker, Martin, visits Mr Hyde monthly and expressed no surprise at his fundraising efforts, noting his bravery in dealing with his diagnosis and everyday issues.