A FUNDRAISING family friend is set to tackle a daring challenge in aid of a tot who was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

Donna Burnnett, 32, of St Osyth, is taking on a nerve-wracking skydive next month in a bid to raise £1,000 for two-year-old Carter Nightingale who is battling leukaemia.

Mother-of-two Donna, who befriended Carter’s mum Hannah through chance encounters around the village, was initially going to use the frightening sky-high free-fall to raise funds for a breast cancer charity.

But after being made aware of Carter’s situation and defiant battle Donna instead opted to take on the 10,000ft leap to help his family fund safety changes to their home in order to facilitate Carter’s new way of life.

She said: “I have followed Carter’s fight everyday since he has been ill, so I messaged Hannah and asked if I could do the skydive for him.

“I am really scared about the jump and I am scared of heights.

“But I have kept thinking of Carter and his little face and he really melts my heart.”

Carter was diagnosed with cancer last year after being rushed to Colchester Hospital with a suspected broken leg following a fall at home in Clacton.

The young boy’s pale and bruised skin, however, led doctors to carry out some blood tests and the results strongly suggested Carter had leukaemia.

Carter, whose father is Dan Nightingale and two sisters are Trinity and Scarlett, was quickly taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridgeshire.

In the horrifying 12 months which have passed since Carter was diagnosed, the brave fighter has undergone numerous emergency surgeries and suffered terrible side effects from chemotherapy.

Carter’s family are now documenting his battle with cancer to raise both awareness and funds which will enable to alter their family home to make it more “Carter-proof”.

Donna said: “I can’t even imagine how Hannah and her family cope and getting through this.

“It breaks my heart to see him this ill. Carter melts my heart and he has been through so much - you can see all of what he has been through, but bless his little heart, he is still smiling.” Donna will do her skydive on September 1.

To donate visit gofundme.com/f/jump-for-carter.