Skydiving for Jonathan: A Tribute to an Extraordinary Young Man
By Ellise Hollie Hayward, Disabilities Correspondent
I had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan at an AAC event last summer, and to say he took my breath away is an understatement.
He was truly the most amazing, inspiring, and kindest young man you could hope to meet. I was completely blown away by him and his incredible achievements.
During our conversation, I mentioned that I wanted to experience skydiving. Jonathan giggled and said he’d love to try it too.
His family looked into it and booked indoor skydiving for Jonathan’s birthday earlier this year. Sadly, after having to reschedule three times due to illness, Jonathan and his family emailed me to say that he would like me to have his indoor skydiving ticket. (Of course, I got emotional.)
I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to give back, so in memory of the wonderful Jonathan, I set myself a challenge to raise money for his charity, Teach Us Too.
It was something I really wanted to do for him.
Jonathan Bryan’s charity promotes the right of all children to be taught to read and write, regardless of their label or diagnosis.
Teach Us Too grew from one child's desire to change the experiences of others in a similar position to his own, and it is now impacting learners across the country. The charity is dedicated to improving access to high-quality, effective literacy education for children with significant disabilities.
They believe that every child has the right to be taught to read and write, and they work tirelessly to advocate for this within schools.
When I decided to raise money for Teach Us Too in Jonathan’s memory, I set a modest target of £150, thinking I might raise a few £10s—something I would have been so grateful for. To my amazement, I raised £510 in just one week! I couldn’t believe it.
This was the first time I’d ever done something like this—raising money for a charity, and in memory of such an inspirational young man.
I genuinely can’t thank everyone enough who donated and supported me in doing the indoor skydive for Teach Us Too. I will never forget this experience—raising money for a cause so close to my heart, and doing it in Jonathan’s memory.
A heartfelt thank you to the Bryan family for gifting me Jonathan’s indoor skydiving ticket. It truly was the experience of a lifetime.
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