Hello!

I will be attempting to beat my vertigo while shimmying ungracefully Bridget Jones-stylee down the ArcelorMittal Orbit on July 16. 

It's the UK's tallest free-fall abseil at 262ft and I will be absolutely terrified. But meeting the incredibly brave heart and lung disease patients at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals makes me think it's the least I can do to help them in some small way through the Patients' Fund. You can read more about the Patients' Fund here but, essentially, it aims to enhance the lives of people in hospital through small projects. Examples include iPods to aid memory and reduce stress and anxiety for dementia patients or camp beds on Rose Ward, so that sick kids can have mum or dad sleep beside them at night.
These projects aren't deemed 'essential' by the NHS and so they fall outside of its funding. But these amenities are essential, just in a different way. They improve the physical and mental wellbeing of patients, which in turn improves recovery times and reduces stress and anxiety among patients and their families.

Anything you can give in sponsorship of my abseil would be greatly appreciated, as I have seen first hand what good smaller projects can do for patients with frightening and painful lung and heart diseases. 

Thank you so much! Joanna Lewin