'I thought the word hospice meant it was the end for me'
BBCAll his life, Steve Hyde has been fit and active and has dedicated his time to raising more than half a million pounds for charity.
But two years ago, the 68-year-old former paratrooper from Hartshill in Nuneaton, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND). He said it was the "lowest" he had ever felt and admitted that, the first time he saw the word 'hospice', he thought it was the end for him.
"It's like being hit with a bomb. You just don't know where you are, what to do, you're just totally lost. It's totally destroying."
Shortly after his diagnosis, he said he considered attempting to take his own life and walked to a bridge, but stopped when he thought about what would happen to his dog.
He said: "I had a letter from a consultant confirming that I'd got MND, and in that letter was a list of people that he would put me in touch with, [such as] your breathing specialist and all the different doctors and nurses.
"And at the bottom of the page was Mary Ann Evans Hospice. Well, my interpretation at the time was 'that's where people go to die', and that hit me hard."
However, the first person he spoke to about his suicidal thoughts was his MND support worker from the hospice, who helped talk him out of acting on them and has supported him ever since.
He added: "She called me a certain few names, which is my mentality. We got on quite well from that point on. She's been a rock for me.
"Debbie has this knack of making me laugh. And the fact that her husband suffered with it too...I'm talking to somebody who's been there and can relate to what I'm saying and what I'm feeling."
To thank the hospice for its support, Hyde will make his final parachute jump on 25 September with the Army's Red Devils display team, alongside his daughter Chez, to raise money for the charity.
The hospice, which is based at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, said it needs a minimum of £5,000 a day to support the work it does.
As part of the support the hospice offers, Martin visits Hyde at home every month and said she is not surprised by his latest fundraiser.
"I've always thought that he's been quite brave...the way that he has dealt with his diagnosis, the way he deals with everyday issues, and I think his military background means that there's bravery there that you don't see unless you talk to him," she added.
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