This weekend, proud brother Marc Conway is taking to the skies for an exhilarating experience which will see him raise money and awareness for the Circulation Foundation.  Here is Marc's story...

On the 25th June 2011, I am going to hurl myself out of a plane...all in the name of charity. Now admittedly it's a tandem dive, which means there will be a professional strapped securely to my back but still, 10,000 feet!!

Many people give to charity as they like to "give something back" and feel like they are contributing to society. Others are prompted by a particular event or loved one in their life that has been affected in some way. Sadly, I am the latter.

In 2009 my brother was diagnosed with global vascular disease.  It is an illness he has had, without knowing, since birth.  This disease means that his arteries close up; preventing the flow of blood to his limbs and causes potentially fatal blood clots.  Following 18 months of operations and different courses of drugs, there was no option left but to amputate his left leg.  This disease cannot be cured, but thanks to advances in medical science, it can be - within reason - maintained. Thanks to the help my brother is receiving, he will have many more years before facing the inevitable outcome of losing his other leg.  Those are years he wouldn't have had without the work that goes into pioneering research into the causes, prevention and treatment of vascular disease.