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Group chief nurse Julie Hamilton, who was the second person to descend the 90-foot drop last Friday after charity chief executive Jon Spiers, said it was an amazing, if frightening, experience to scale the side of the building.
She said: “The building is quite steep, and stepping over the edge was daunting, but once I took that first step, I knew I could do it. Hearing the cheers from below gave me a real lift - it felt like everyone was rooting for us.
“I’m so proud everyone who was brave enough to complete the abseil – it was an amazing couple of days. Thank you so much to the Royal Free Charity for organising it.”
So far more than £43,000 has been raised by the 116 people who took part in the event at the Royal Free Hospital on Friday and Saturday.
Among them was former kidney transplant patient Laura Nelson.
She said: “I wanted to do this because of everything the charity does for the hospital and because they helped me so much. They really helped me come out of my shell. They’re just really kind.
“The charity’s volunteer team knew I was a daredevil, so they told me about the abseil before it was even advertised – and I said ‘yes sign me up!’ I love the adrenaline rush and the challenge of being able to push myself. I also love that doing this shows people that patients with kidney failure can do things like this. It challenges people’s perceptions of transplant patients.”
Among the staff taking part were Marianna Siapera and Zoe Cricks from the paediatric mental health crisis team; Julie Lock and Leila Hamidi-Manesh who work in paediatric oncology at Barnet Hospital; Melanie Manton, from Chase Farm Hospital; and Miriam Gold, Anna O’Neill-Cook and Olivia Ireland from the gastro management team.
The event was supported by members of the Royal Marines, who ensured everyone got down safely, and sponsored by TK International.
Julie added: “Reflecting on my abseil, yes, I was scared, but it reminded me that the few seconds of fear I faced are nothing compared to the courage I see every day in our hospitals. I thought of a close friend who has been undergoing cancer treatment for the last 18 months; her strength inspired me to push through the nerves.”
Image: Julie Hamilton descending the Pears Building
