Emma Wild-Lucas honours her beloved father Peter this Father’s Day by doing something he would have loved to do – a skydive to raise funds for APF.
My father was a handsome man who loved to swim, walk his dog and go away with mum for weekends in London, watching shows. He received the devastating diagnosis of PF in September 2019. It was a huge shock to find there is no cure.
Watching my father gasp for every breath, despite being on oxygen 24/7, for the last 18 months, was horrendous and cruel. He suffered so much. Pulmonary Fibrosis took his freedom for his last years, but it didn't take his humour, something we all hold on to.
He was brave - he dealt with all that was handed to him. He never wanted us to see him struggling or suffering. He put everyone before himself.
Pops and Mum were teenage sweethearts, they were together for 56 years. They were always together, and that's how I always remember him. Happiest when he was with my Mum, his kids and his Grandchildren.
My parents bought an old wreck of a house and did it up together, they hoped to spend their retirement travelling around England. Sadly Pops only had a few years of retirement before he was diagnosed.
The naughty glint in his eyes is something that I will always remember. My two older brothers and myself have all inherited this humour.
Pops used this amazing sense of humour to deal with his PF. Despite being a very proud man who didn’t want one, when he got a stair lift he would wave to us as he was going up the stairs like he was royalty, with a big smile on his face. When we had to use a wheelchair to get him out and about, he found the funny side of that too. Even in his last days he was trying to make everyone laugh.
Life is incredibly hard without him. His loss is a huge void in our lives. I really want to help find a cure for this awful disease and support other families dealing with this.
Last year myself and my son took on a half marathon to raise money for APF. Pops was so proud. Instead of funeral flowers, friends and family gave money to APF in Pops' memory. He would have been amazed and pleased at how much was raised.
This Father's day, our first without him, falls on my birthday. This year I wanted to do something Pops had said he'd like to do, whilst raising money in his memory. So I am doing a skydive. Which is a huge step when you hate heights!! My daughter Abbie and her partner are also doing a half marathon to raise funds in his name.
Pops would be so very proud, but also his humour would have been in overdrive with this, trying to scare me!!
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