A father from Blackwood is raising awareness about autism by taking on a terrifying 10,000ft skydive.
Ross Mason-Price, 27, will be jumping out of a plane with his close friend Liam Dobbins, 23 on Saturday April 30 to coincide with National Autism Awareness Month.
Mr Mason-Price’s son Kaden, aged three, was diagnosed with autism in January.
All money raised from the skydive will be donated to the National Autistic Society.
It wasn’t until Kaden stopped talking at around 15 months old that Mr Mason-Price and his partner Danielle Meredith, 25, realised something could be up.
Mr Mason-Price said: “When Kaden was eight months old, he was talking, saying words like “mama” and “dada”, but he got to 15 or 16 months old and just stopped.
“We didn’t know the reason why, but like any other parents we thought he was just shy and that he’d start again in his own time.”
Eventually, the couple took Kaden to Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr hospital in Ystrad Mynach, where he was diagnosed with autism. He has been undergoing speech and language therapy since.
Mr Mason-Price added: “In his development, his numbers and colours are brilliant, he’s at the level he should be. But with his talking and communication skills, he doesn’t cope so well.
“That’s why I want to raise as much money and awareness as possible.”
Mr Mason-Price has said he will also campaign to address the “lack of services” for parents of autistic children in the Blackwood area.
Donations can be made at www.doitforcharity.com/rmason-price.