Friends Help Hospice Patient Fulfill Skydiving Dream

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Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Above: Photo by Raul Zaharia.

Doctors gave hospice patient Barb Gallagher, who had terminal cancer, two weeks to live. Her final wish was to experience the freedom of freefall.

On September 3, her closest friends made it happen. They wheeled Gallagher out of hospice and brought her to Airborne Petawawa in Pembroke, Ontario. That day, they all leapt from 12,500 feet. The jump fulfilled Gallagher’s dying wish and created lasting memories her friends will cherish. The day was emotional and courageous for everyone involved.

“This was about more than skydiving,” said Raul Zaharia, owner of Airborne Petawawa and the tandem instructor who jumped with Gallagher. “It was important to me personally to take her because the reason I started this company was to share skydiving with the world. Seeing [Gallagher]’s courage and her friends’ determination to make it happen is exactly why I believe in what we do here.”

Gallagher’s message was simple: life is meant to be lived—boldly.

Sadly, just over a week later, Gallagher died on September 11.

The Airborne Petawawa team believes skydiving is more than a sport—it’s a way of celebrating life, courage and community. Through initiatives like the Getting Wounded Vets Airborne program, which provides free tandem skydives to injured veterans, they are committed to making the sky accessible to people with extraordinary stories.

Aria Vela-Delatorre D-38827
Petawawa, Ontario, Canada