Nigel abseils 160 feet to say thank you for decades of care
Nigel Haselden, a former Clapham Town councillor, courageously undertook the challenge of abseiling 160 feet to fundraise for Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity to express his gratitude for 28 years of life-saving care.
In 2004, Nigel was diagnosed with an aggressive bladder tumour and was given a 10% chance of surviving 5 years. Following an 8-hour surgery to remove the tumour and 4 months of chemotherapy at Guy’s and St Thomas’, he was given a fresh start and stood for his local council, Clapham Town.
“I went from having hospital treatment for a year and 2 months, to being catapulted into a 6-month election campaign to be councillor.”
"The experience at the hospital was so psychologically important, and my doctors were my comfort zone during that time."
Following the all-clear for his bladder cancer in 2014, Nigel is currently under the care of the ophthalmology, haematology, and physiotherapy teams at Guy’s and St Thomas’.
Alongside his cancer treatment, Nigel had several operations for glaucoma and a detached retina. In 2014 he was registered as sight impaired and has 50% vision.
In the same year he was diagnosed with smouldering myeloma, a form of myeloma that presents with no symptoms and requires close monitoring by the haematology team.
Nigel is also involved in Guy’s and St Thomas’ balance retraining programme, under the care of the physiotherapy team following a diagnosis of vertigo after a viral infection.
“I am on the up, and grateful for the physiotherapy team. The programme has been really great news and had the desired effect, it is nice to see a way out of my balance issues.” Nigel said.
"No one should want to go to hospital, but I almost feel it’s a comforting presence. I have people saying ‘wouldn’t you want to be in the countryside out of the city?’ But I say ‘are you kidding, I live close to one of the best NHS Trusts in the country, why would I want to move!'"
Nigel was joined by 330 other courageous thrill-seekers taking on the St Thomas’ Abseil. The annual challenge raises vital funds for Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity, Guy’s Cancer Charity and Evelina London Children’s Charity.
Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity supports the inspirational NHS staff and exceptional healthcare for patients and families at Guy’s & St Thomas’. Your donations have helped us fund a new urology centre at Guy’s Hospital that transformed the way urology patients are assessed and treated.
The award-winning project was redesigned around the patient pathway, aiming to speed up diagnosis, reduce queues for appointments, and improve service efficiency. Since the centre opened in 2008, over 100,000 newly referred patients have benefited from its facilities and ethos.
"It is thanks to our determined fundraisers braving the heights, like Nigel, that we are able to continue supporting the outstanding work of the teams at Guy’s and St Thomas’. A big thank you to Nigel, and his clinical teams, for all that you do."
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