Michaela’s skydive appeal in aid of muscular disease

Michaela’s skydive appeal in aid of muscular disease

22 February 2017

MICHAELA Hollywood was just six years old when her much loved sister Martina passed away.

Michaela has been living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) since birth, but it was a condition Martina didn’t survive, sadly passing away in 1997 aged just 14.

In her memory, Michaela has already undertaken fundraising events for Muscular Dystrophy UK such as a gruelling marathon in her wheelchair. Her 26-mile wheelchair trek across Belfast rewrote the rule book for people living with a disability, and now the inspirational disability rights campaigner from Crossgar has organised a family skydive to raise more money in Martina’s memory.

SMA affects nerve cells in the spinal cord, impacting on movement and, in some cases, breathing, and on a day-to-day basis Michaela depends on a range of life-saving equipment and the support of her family. There aren’t many challenges she won’t personally undertake, but in this instance she is happy for her family and friends to jump the 10,000 feet on her behalf.

“This is part of Muscular Dystrophy’s Make Today Count campaign and there are skydives happening across the UK in February and March,” Michaela explained.

“Obviously I can’t do it. So my nephew Michael said, ‘Sign me up’. It’s a big thing for a young man to do. He quite literally jumped at the chance.”

Michael McMullan (16) and Michaela’s sister Angela Hollywood (40) are among the group of seven taking part in the skydive, due to take place on March 12 at the Wild Geese centre in Coleraine.

“We decided to do it now because it was Martina’s 20th anniversary on January 4, 20 years since she passed away.” said Michaela. “It would also have been her 35th birthday on January 24, so two milestones. We want to remember everybody who has been affected.

“I do not feel like breaking my bones, to be honest, so I plan to sit back and watch. I hope we have a really good day.

“My goal would not be being able to do a skydive, but air travel is the sort of thing I want to make really accessible. If I want to travel that way it is very, very complicated. I would to see people being able to travel themselves in a more dignified way.”

Although she was just six when her sister died, Michaela said she had several treasured memories.

“What I remember is really good,” she said. “Some of my biggest memories are sitting with some of the actors at the Lyric Theatre. She was an actor there. She loved being able to sing. She had a really, really good voice.

“I remember six months before she died the first feeding tube went into my nose. She absolutely loved doing my feeding tube. She really would have needed it herself. That technology was just beginning to evolve sadly. For instance, I was the first person to come home from hospital with the condition without 24 hour nursing care and with non-invasive ventilation.

“However, Martina died 20 days 

before her 15th birthday. It was very, very young but she was wise beyond her years. She lived more in her 14 years than anybody could.”

Michaela herself has had an up and down year health wise, battling problems with her pancreas, meaning she has to consume digestive enzymes while eating, and battling the Pseudomonas bacteria growing in her lungs.

“I’m feeling a lot better now,” she said. “It’s lovely to be back to how I was feeling when I was at university.

“We have also had a landmark year for Muscular Dystrophy. They are working on a new drug treatment in America, which is a huge step forward. The hope is that it will be able to help children with the condition. I don’t know that it will be able to help me. There is a possible chance, but nobody really knows yet. We don’t know how it will step forward but it is progress.”

To support Michaela’s skydive appeal and make a donation to Muscular Dystrophy UK, a donation can be made online at: www.justgiving.com/martinasskydive