A WOMAN from Ugborough has thrown caution to the wind and herself out of a plane to raise almost £2,000 for diabetes research.

21-year-old Alice Wiseman raised £1,754 and £133.75 in Gift Aid after completing a tandem skydive from 15,000 feet.

Alice said she ’couldn’t have had better weather’ for the jump, which took place in glorious sunshine, and she raised far more than expected. She also paid tribute to the generosity of Gazette readers after an article prior to the challenge led to Alice receiving a cheque in the post from an anonymous benefactor.

Alice will be donating the money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, having been diagnosed with the incurable, life long condition type 1 diabetes in 2012 after studying it in an A level biology class. Realising that she had all the symptoms of weight loss, a constant thirst and dry mouth, blurred vision and constant tiredness, she went to the doctor and was given the life changing diagnosis.

Ever since, Alice has had to control the condition with insulin, forced to inject herself at least six times a day before switching to a pump that delivers the hormone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

She has to constantly control her blood sugar levels to avoid grisly complications in the future that could include blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation.

JDRF funds research into treatment and prevention of diabetes, and ultimately a cure for the disease.