Kelvedon: Girlfriend of leukaemia victim to skydive for charity (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Kelvedon: Girlfriend of leukaemia victim to skydive for charity

2:38pm Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News By Will Lodge

THE girlfriend of a teenager who died from leukaemia is jumping out of a plane in his memory.

Matt Sims was diagnosed with the condition in December 2010, and despite initially beating the disease the intensive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and stem cell transplant left him in hospital.

Matt, a pupil at Coggeshall’s Honeywood Community Science School and keen dance and drama student, finally succumbed to the illness on November 2 last year.

Now his girlfriend Rhiannon Griffiths, 17, is bracing herself to skydive from 10,000 feet to raise cash for the Teenager Cancer Trust, one of the charities which supported Matt through his fight with cancer.

“I am quite nervous about the whole thing, but if he was brave enough to face his treatment then I am brave enough to jump out of a plane,” Rhiannon said.

“Matt was very engaging and did not complain once despite the amount of treatment he was going through. If he was having a really bad day he would not say anything.

“I was very lucky to be his girlfriend as he was such a nice boy. Sadly we didn’t make our two year anniversary, and he was too ill during our first, but we did enjoy a nice meal out after 18 months of being together."

Rhiannon, of Riverside Way, Kelvedon is now studying at the Colchester Sixth Form College and recently received three As and two Bs at AS Level.

Matt, from Stanway, Colchester, received a lot of treatment at the Teenager Caner Trust ward at the University College London Hospital.

“Everyone was so supportive,” said Rhiannon.

“The ward was really good, with a room with games consoles for the patients. Matt used to organise pizza nights, and all the nurses used to join in the fun too."

To sponsor Rhiannon visit her Virgin Money website.