The view from the top of the Royal for those taking the abseil challenge
A member of staff at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust is going above and beyond to help raise money for R Charity's £10 million Appeal.
Wheelchair user Will Weston will take the drop from the top of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital to raise as much money as possible at this year's R Charity abseil on Saturday, 13 June 2015. Will, surgery divisional strategy lead, broke his neck whilst diving in the Lake District, just weeks after finishing his final exams in Medicine at Liverpool University. The accident left him paralysed from the chest down and because of this Will relies on a wheelchair to get around, but that won't stop him from making it to the top.
Will said:- "Because of my injuries, I can see our hospital from both sides of the coin, as an employee and a patient." I've been stuck in waiting rooms for hours so I know how it can feel. The money raised for the R Charity appeal is not only improving care provided in the new Royal, but will improve the experience and environment that patients like myself are treated in. From a wheelchair user's perspective, the current hospital is really good and colleagues have consulted me a number of times to find out ways in which we can improve, but I'm really looking forward to moving into the new Royal to see what they've done for disabled staff and patients. An abseil can be daunting for the most hardened adventurer, but for Will it might not be the drop over the edge that causes the most problems. The roof of the Royal is actually 12 floors above ground level and the final floor has no lift access. Reaching the roof might be the hardest part, but we'll figure out a way."
A daredevil in the past, this is the 1st
'extreme' activity Will has done since his injury:- "Before my
injury, I'd taken part in a sky dive and a bungee jump, so this will be the 1st
1 since my accident. Even with all my past experience, I'm still scared of
heights. I think I'll be looking forward to a drink once I'm safely back on the
ground!"
Will hopes to raise £2,000 towards R Charity's £10million Appeal, which will
equip the new hospital with ground breaking and state of the art equipment, as
well as improving the standard of facilities in the new hospital. Ged Carter,
head of Fundraising said:- "Will is 1 of the most determined guys I've
met. At 1st, it looked like his abseil might not take place, but he really
pushed and we managed to find a way. If Will can do it, no one else can have any
excuses! He's a real inspiration and we want as many people as possible join us
at the top of the Royal on Saturday, 13 June 2015, to help provide the New Royal
hospital the people of Merseyside deserve."
You can help Will to make his £2,000 target by donating at:-
JustGiving.Com/Will-Weston-Royal or by
texting:- 'WWAS82 £10'
as many times as you like to:- 70070.
