In order to direct some of the money I have raised to the Ronald Macdonald House Charity I have set up this second page. To see all the donations so far follow this link (http://www.justgiving.com/Russell-McMillan).
The challenge: Abseiling down one of London’s tallest buildings
In order to raise money for Guy's and St Thomas' Charity I have volunteered to abseil down the tower of Guy’s Hospital, which is almost 469 ft / 143 m tall (34 floors).
The reason: Hamish’s Heart
As many of you will know, our son Hamish was born last year with a complex combination of heart problems. Luckily his condition was diagnosed in a scan when Eleanor was 19 weeks pregnant, giving us plenty of time to absorb the news and understand the treatment he would require. Hamish underwent open heart surgery when he was 10 weeks old: despite being a gruelling seven hours, it was a complete success and Hamish’s heart is now as good as new and he can look forward to full and active life ahead of him.
All of this took place at the Evelina Children’s Hospital (part of the Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust). The success of the operation was down to the medial staff who are based there, including: the team of cardiologists who, after a great deal of careful deliberation, decided on the course of action to be pursued and ensured that Eleanor and I felt part of that decision making process throughout; the surgical team who literally had Hamish’s life in their hands; and the doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit who nursed Hamish through three or four critical days following his operation, and did so with amazing care and dedication.
The charities: Evelina Children’s Hospital Appeal & Ronald Macdonald House Charity
As you can imagine, Eleanor and I are deeply indebted to everyone at the Evelina and we would like to thank them and return their support to us by raising money for their on-going appeal.
We have set ourselves an initial target of raising £250 for the Evelina Children’s Hospital Appeal. This will be used to pay for the things that can make a huge difference to children and parents when they are in hospital: blankets and quilts that can make an intensive care bed look much more personal; mobiles for cots to keep children amused when they are often immobile with drugs and pain relief; toys, books and games for children to play with; and little extras for parents such as comfy chairs to sit in for hours on end, kitchens to cook meals in and spaces to go to have a break and well earned rest.
If we are lucky enough to raise any money over our £250 target, we plan to split the extra money raised between the Evelina Children’s Hospital and the Ronald Macdonald House Charity. Ronald Macdonald provide accommodation in, or nearby, hospitals for parents to use when their children are in intensive care. This is a critical service, and Eleanor and I cannot begin to imagine how we would have coped had we had to travel home every night whilst Hamish was in intensive care. The money raised will go towards maintaining and expanding this service at the Evelina and across the UK.
Thank you all for your support, it means a lot to us and will be greatly appreciated by the parents and children who will directly benefit from your generosity.
