Abseil success!
11/10/2016
This article is more than seven years old.
Eighty abseilers braved lashing rain to take part in our latest hospital challenge on 25 September 2016.
Staff, patients and hospital supporters all came down the 100ft wall of the John Radcliffe Hospital's Women's Centre.
The day kicked off with a team supporting the Oxford Eye Hospital, followed by a large group of hospital staff, from the JR's Adult Emergency Assessment Unit.
Karen Loveridge from the department said: "It was brilliant to have so many members of our team taking part. The atmosphere was just fantastic and I was so proud at how well they all did."
Next on the ropes was Silver Star, which had twenty people abseiling in support of the Unit that helps parents through complicated pregnancies.
Amongst them was Luke Froude, taking part with a group of friends from Banbury.
Luke and his wife Gemma have been helped by the Silver Star Unit after losing their baby son, Finnley, in 2010 aged just 18 weeks old.
Their second baby, Henry, is now 20 weeks old and Luke abseiled with his best friends - to say thank you for the care they have received.
He was watched by his wife Gemma, who said: "We cannot thank the medical team enough. They were so brilliant and because of everything we had been through with Finnley we knew everyone, and they understood us. We really wanted to support Silver Star at the abseil, because without them we wouldn't have Henry. He's our little miracle."
The afternoon saw abseilers on the ropes for the Oxford Children's Hospital, including Russ McGuire from Poole. Russ is father of 18 month old triplets, Rosie, Woody and Hugo.
Rosie has recently had craniofacial surgery at the hospital, which is a specialist centre for this procedure.
He explained: "Rosie has been to the Oxford Children's Hospital a lot and we are totally in awe of how the craniofacial team were able to help her. It's made a huge difference and this abseil was our chance to say a little thank you for this very special care."
The abseil looks set to raise over £20,000 for all these hospital causes. We are so grateful to all who took part.