A BRAVE nine-year-old is conquering his fear of heights with a fundraising zipwire challenge for the hospital looking after his grandmother.

Ryan Turner will climb the 60ft tower at the end of Bournemouth Pier and zoom high over the waves back to the beach on Saturday.

He initially set himself a target of £200, but is now aiming to raise over £500 from his adventure.

The funds raised will be donated to both the Alzheimer’s Society and the Great Western Hospital where his ‘nanna’, Joan Selby, is a dementia patient.

Ryan, a pupil of Grange Junior School, in Hampshire, said: “I am doing this because I love my nanna. She has dementia and I want to show her that I care and how much I love her. And I hope it helps her and anyone else.”

The devoted grandson visits Joan most days and spends ours chatting happily to her, even when she forgets who he is.

Proud mum Laura said: “I know he’s my son, but he is fantastic with her. He listens, he holds her hand. We have never told him how to act around her. He has just done it himself.”

Ryan and Jean have always been close, but since the dementia has started to take hold, they have become even closer, Laura said.

She added Ryan came up with the idea of a zipwire challenge on a short break to Bournemouth recently.

“He climbs trees, but only so far,” Laura explained. “He is absolutely determined he is going to do it. He says ‘I’m doing it for my nanna’. I think he wants to push himself, to show her that he can help.”

Julie Kemp, community fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society, commented: “It’s great that Ryan has set himself such an amazing challenge to support [the charity].

“Dementia can happen to anyone and there is currently no cure. But with the right support, people can live well with dementia.

“As a charity, we rely on our amazing fundraisers, like Ryan, to help us continue our vital work so that Alzheimer’s Society can continue leading the fight against dementia.”

To sponsor Ryan, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/laura-turner-1.