Parachute jump raises money for Udston hospital

Apr 10 2008 By John Rowbotham

PATIENTS at Hamilton’s Udston Hospital are to benefit from a parachute jump 4000 miles away.

Mark Coggill, a 37-year-old sign installer, and his cousin Kevin, aged 22, plunged 14,000ft through the skies above Orlando, Florida.

And their sponsored effort raised £1015 for the hospital’s Brandon ward, where Mark’s gran, Mary Coggill, was a patient.

Mark, from Fairhill, and Kevin, who lives in Little Earnock, performed the jump in January while on holiday with family and friends.

They both did ‘tandem jumps’ which means they were strapped to experienced skydivers who controlled the landing.

The intrepid duo touched down near DeLand Airport, close to where they had taken off.

Mark, who is engaged, said: “I always wanted to have a go at a parachute jump and this was amazing; the best thing I have ever done.”

Mrs Coggill, who lived in Little Earnock but is originally from Laighstonehall, is suffering from dementia and was for seven months a patient on Brandon ward.

She has now moved to 24-hour care at a nursing home.

Mark said: “The reason that we did the sky dive is to hopefully raise some awareness of the illness that I’m sure affects a lot of people in different ways.

“I also wanted to show that there are still people within the Hamilton area willing to do something good for the benefit of others.

“I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the staff in Brandon Ward who have stabilised my grandmother’s illness.”

Mark said the money would be used for the benefit of the patients.

Mark and his cousin would like to thank family, friends and the following for backing their effort: Royal Mail sorting office, Hamilton; Philips Lighting; Merson Signs, East Kilbride; St John Ogilvie High, Hamilton; Barclays Wealth, Glasgow; Devro, Bellshill; HSBC Banking, Hamilton; Whitehill Community Centre; Hillhouse Community Centre, and Hawes Signs (Wakefield and Northampton).

“I also wanted to show that there are still people within the Hamilton area willing to do something good for the benefit of others,”- Mark Coggill