Woman, 73, raises more than £1,000 doing wing walk in support of diabetic daughter

• Pictures from Joy McFarland | The Wing Walk Company

A 73-year-old woman from Ilkeston in Derbyshire says she feels "amazing" after completing a wing walk to raise money for Diabetes UK.

Joy McFarland set herself the challenge in support of her adult daughter who has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was seven.

Joy completed the wing walk at Wickenby Airfield in Linconshire.

She says she was "nervous but excited" to take to the skies and it's something that has been on her bucket list for a very long time.

"It was just amazing", Joy said following her challenge, "I can't even begin to put it into words, it was just stunning!"

Joy's daughter, Hannah, says she couldn't believe it when she first told her about her plan - and following the challenge she described her as "very brave".

"I reckon she's absolutely fantastic and I'm very, very proud of her", says Hannah.

Hannah, who is 43, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was seven years old.

Joy is keen to raise awareness about the condition and how serious it can be for those who are diagnosed with it, in the hope of one day finding a cure.

Stacey Smalley, Community Fundraising Manager at Diabetes UK Midlands, said: “We are so grateful to Joy for taking on this amazing challenge to do a wing walk in aid of Diabetes UK.

"Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with diabetes, we estimate that more than five million people in the UK are living with diabetes, which is an all-time high - 1 in 15 of us is now living with diabetes.

"When you meet Joy you realise she's young at heart - age won't stop her", she adds.

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