Take that Branson! Jewish gran takes to the skies to raise money for cancer charity
Elana Overs experienced speeds of up to 140mph to fundraise in memory of Darel Bryan who succumbed to the disease five years ago
A Jewish grandma has flown on the wing of an airplane for charity, following the tragic loss of her daughter’s partner to cancer.
Elana Overs took to the skies above Gloucestershire last weekend, experiencing speeds of up to 140mph to raise funds in aid of Darel Bryan, who died five years ago from the disease.
Bryan passed away at the age of 34 due to brain cancer, with a foundation set up in his name under the umbrella of the Brain Tumour Research, having raised close to £200,000 already.
Overs, who works in the film industry and is a member of BAFTA, paid tribute to Darel and his partner Natalie, saying “they had been together for 12 years until his death. They were totally devoted to each other and such a beautiful couple. Natalie never left his side for 15 months, sleeping on floors and chairs in hospitals and, in the end, on the bed next to him in St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney, East London. St Joseph’s gave Darel such brilliant care in his final days.”
“I wanted to do something for all those diagnosed with a brain tumour and facing a very uncertain future. Being diagnosed with any cancer is devastating, but brain tumours are indiscriminate and affect so many young people. We need to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure and the only way to do this is through research.
“Before my wing walk, I had never done anything quite this mad, although I did take on a parachute jump from a mountain once, along with Natalie. We were on a skiing holiday and fortunately both strapped to an instructor! It was an amazing experience and a real adrenaline rush! Seeing the world from a bird’s eye view with the wind rushing in my hair was incredible.
“I am so grateful to everyone who has donated so far, with my fundraising total currently standing at almost £9,000.”
Elana’s father was Stanley Medicks, who was chairman of the British, Scandinavian and European Machal organisation. He is honoured with a room at the Michael Levin Center for Lone Soldiers in Tel Aviv.
You can make a donation here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Elana-Overs
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
