After being diagnosed with cancer in March, Gordie Kane is hoping to jump out of a plane tomorrow (Thursday) to raise money for St Leonards Hospice.
Taking part in ‘one last hurrah’, Gordie and his children, Adam and Emily, will embark on the 12,000 ft tandem skydive in aid of the charity.
Originally the jump was set for Tuesday, but an infection meant Gordie was re-admitted to hospital at the weekend. Medics have said, all being well, he should be okay for tomorrow afternoon.
Gordie’s wife, Susan, told YorkMix, “Every medic is aware of just how important this is to him and we have everything crossed that he will be able to create this precious memory with Adam and Emily.”
YorkMix spoke to Gordie, who told us how he felt about the jump, “I’m really excited, when you’re at this stage, you’ve got to have things to look forward to.
“And to be perfectly honest, there aren’t an awful lot of things to look forward to, because you know where the journey is going to end. It’s just a question of how long. And obviously, the nearer you get to the end, the less pleasant it becomes.”
Last week, Gordie announced to his JustGiving page that his cancer had progressed to a point where “the end is in sight”.
“My motto for my whole life has been ‘Sempre Avanti’ (always forward). With that in mind, why not one last stupid gesture to raise money for our local hospice which helps people like me find a peaceful end and provides comfort and support for the entire family?” He wrote.
Already raising three times the initial target of £1,500 in 3 days, the page currently stands just over £7,500.
Discussing the idea behind the fundraiser, Gordie told YorkMix that it was Britains oldest skydiver (102) that spurred him on, “my son Adam said, she can do it, why can’t you? So I said, because I’ve got cancer. He went, so what? And I went, yeah alright.”
Skydiving has always intrigued Gordie, so now seems the perfect time, “I’ve always wanted to do stuff like that, I go skiing, scuba diving, and one thing I’ve never done is a bit of skydiving. I know it’s tandem, but it’s still the same thing, jumping out at 12,000 feet?! Come on!”
The three of them plan to take to the skies tomorrow afternoon, but they have one condition. “I’ve said the deal breaker is me and the two kids have to be in the same plane. There’s no question about that, me, Adam and Emily have to be in the same aircraft.” Gordie said.
“I know if her brother jumps, Emily will jump out of stubbornness and obviously, if I go first they’ll say, we can’t leave the old bugger on his own.”
Since receiving the awful news of his diagnosis in March, Gordie has been in an out of hospital. “With the the awful thing about this illness is you have no control, none. You have no control at all. You do your best to try, then gradually, as you get iller and iller, you lose control.
“And in my case, it’s since I’ve had all these different infections and I’ve been in and out of hospital, so what I’m saying is, anything I’ve got control over, I want to try and control just because it makes me feel better, like I’m doing something.”
Jolly Good Pub Quiz
An actor, writer, and quiz-host, Gordie is known as an ‘all-round legend’ to friends and quizzers around the city.
He began leading the ‘Jolly Good Pub Quiz’ at The Gillygate pub, acquiring a loyal group of atendees from his time hosting. “It’s been a good three years, although maybe good isn’t the right word” he told YorkMix.
The much-loved quiz also made its way to The Black Horse on Monkgate two years ago, and continues to run there every Monday as a ‘traditional pen and paper pub quiz’.
When Gordie needed treatment and was unable to host, a group of the pub’s regular Monday night quizzers took turns to write and lead the weekly get together. They continue to run the quiz in the same format in his honour.
Gordie’s friend said: “Gordie’s quiz style is definitely humorous as he used his acting skills to liven it up. He always started with a cheesy joke and finished off with a play your cards right.”
The JustGiving Page
Since opening the fundraising page, Gordie and his family have been completely overwhelmed by the generosity.
Their initial target began as £1,500, which was then raised to £5,000 and it’s currently continuing to grow past £7,500 with donations from over 180 supporters.
His wife, Susan, shared to the site: “It really does feel like the final scene of our favourite film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Gordie is speechless, which is a very rare occurrence.”
Gordie too couldn’t quite express how much it’s meant to him, he told YorkMix: “I got quite teary when it all started happening. People are so kind, I can’t believe it. It’s just just a huge testament to people’s compassion and kindness.
“I’ve always valued my friends enormously, and I love them very much. But I honestly didn’t expect quite that response, it’s been staggering.
“And as they say in my favourite film, It’s a Wonderful Life, ‘no man is a failure who has friends’, and I’ve got friends, so I can’t be a failure.”
To donate to Gordie’s JustGiving fundraiser, or to keep up with the skydive updates, find his page here. Good luck Gordie!