A WOMAN who works in Taunton is planning on taking to the skies to raise money for Bristol Children's Hospital.

Alongside her colleagues from Musgrove Hospital, Immacolata Notaro-Livingstone will be doing a charity skydive this Sunday (July 9).

Immacolata told the Gazette: "We are hoping to raise £5,000, we are nearly there, we have raised £4,600 at the moment.

"The reason I'm doing it is because my 11-year-old son had a catastrophic brain haemorrhage.

"He was in intensive care for 18 days, he nearly lost his life."

"Bristol Children's Hospice was incredible, they gave us our son back."

Posting on her Just Giving page, Immacolata explains further about why she is raising money for this amazing charity: "Our beautiful son Santolo got out the shower on the evening of May 15, 2022 - after a normal day playing, skateboarding and in the lake in a pedalo with his mate Harry - screaming holding his head in pain, after calling 999 I knew instinctively Santolo was having a brain haemorrhage. Santolo was taken to Musgrove Park A&E department where I work and from there he had a CT scan which confirmed a catastrophic brain haemorrhage threatening his life.

"Santolo was intubated and Bluelighted to Bristol Childrens Hospital where this incredible heart wrenching emotional rollercoaster began.

"We waited until 0500 on Monday, May 16 to be able to see Santolo in paediatric intensive care fighting for his life.

"18 days Santolo was on life support and during that time, a week after the bleed, his little brain was swelling so much he had to have half his skull removed.

"Santolo had a arteriovenous malformation that he had from birth, we knew nothing about.

"His life hung in the balance, we never left his side. From PICU he finally woke on June 2, 2022 - he was alive - he lost the use of his right side and was unable to talk, but in time he regained complete speech and full function of his limbs.

"On February 9 this year Santolo under went life threatening brain surgery for 23 hours to remove the AVM and insert a titanium plate which would be his new skull.

"The neurosurgeons are incredible, Mr Edwards and Mr Fellows saved our sons life. The whole team from nurses, domestics, neuro rehab team became our family."