CELEBRATING a milestone birthday is one thing.

Surviving cancer is another but for Julie Hodgson the prospect of her and her husband, Kevin, commemorating their 50th Birthdays this year - and completing the end of her gruelling cancer treatment - prompted a very special present and it came by way of their son James.

Based at Brize Norton, the RAF parachute training instructor decided to give his parents the gift of a lifetime - the opportunity to participate in a tandem parachute jump along with him and his wife, Danielle, who also has a high flying career as a member of the RAF sky diving team.

“We are jumping out as a family, me, Kevin, James and Danielle. It’s another tick off the bucket list,” said Julie, ahead of the jump on June 25.

For Julie the jump also gave her the opportunity to raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Support, in her home city of Bradford, which supported her, and continues to support many more patients, who are diagnosed with cancer.

“They have been absolutely fabulous,” she says.

Unlike most women whose breast cancer is diagnosed after they discover a lump, Julie was randomly selected to take part in a trial at St Luke’s Hospital, Bradford.

“I was called in last June as part of a trial for women under 50 to have a mammogram. I had no indication anything was wrong,” explains Julie.

Ultimately, participating in the trial saved her life, for despite regularly checking herself, as women are advised to do, Julie was told she probably wouldn’t have known the tumour was there due to its location.

“I have always checked myself really regularly,” says Julie.

“But they said where it was located I would never have felt it. It was really lucky I was called in as part of this trial.”

“I felt so confident because I had always been checked regularly. I went in there thinking it was a regular check, but they called me back and told me what it was. I was devastated,” recalls Julie.

Within weeks she underwent her surgery at Bradford Royal Infirmary to remove the Grade 3 tumour. Fortunately she didn’t have to have a mastectomy but had to endure six months of chemotherapy and four weeks of radiotherapy treatment at St James’ Hospital in Leeds.

“It was a real personal test for me.

“The hardest thing was telling people, but I thought if I can come across as being strong everybody may just follow suit and they did.”

She credits her family and friends with helping her through her ordeal.

“They all kept me going,” says Julie.

“Without them three, she says referring to her husband, son and daughter-in-law, I don’t know how I would have got through this.

“And my friends and work colleagues were unbelievable. They stood by me.

“When I lost my hair it just absolutely floored me, but I was determined it would not beat me. The chemo was hard but I tried to work as much as I could and carry on.”

The scooter fan who developed an interest through her husband, they all have Vespas, works for the Halifax-based classic scooter business Buzzsolomoto.

Julie also enjoys raising funds for charity. She previously participated in a Himalayan trek in 2014 and the Mount Up for Manorlands - a charity horse ride - for the Oxenhope hospice which cared for her late grandmother.

“It was a very big personal challenge because I don’t like flying but it was amazing and I am glad I did it,” she says, referring to the Himalayan experience.

Despite not enjoying flying, Julie was eager to take her fundraising to great heights by using her birthday gift to boost funds for Yorkshire Cancer Support.

Speaking about it after, Julie was buzzing from the experience. “It was absolutely amazing.

“They were fantastic and really put me at ease,” she says referring to the experts who guided them through the experience.

“It was breathtaking and I was determined to keep my eyes open. I didn’t really how fast you are falling, they said we were probably reaching speeds of up to 120 to 130mph.

“It was the most brilliant thing I have ever done. I enjoyed every minute of it.

“And,” she adds “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

To support Julie and help her to boost funds for Cancer Support Yorkshire visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Julie-Hodgson-Was-Carnall1