From transplant to tower: Laura Nelson’s… | Royal Free Charity

From transplant to tower: Laura Nelson’s high-rise thank you to NHS staff who saved her life

14 May 2025 
A zoomed out photo of a woman wearing a Royal Free Charity tshirt doing an abseil down the Pears Building in Hampstead.
Laura Nelson braved new heights at the Royal Free Charity’s inaugural abseil 
A daredevil who received a kidney transplant at just 20 years of age has scaled a 70-foot-tall building to thank the NHS staff who saved her life. Since her operation, Laura Nelson has been volunteering at the Royal Free Hospital to give back and this weekend, she took the plunge to abseil. 

Laura is one of 116 fundraisers who, guided by elite Royal Marines, descended the Pears Building in Hampstead in the first-ever charity abseil on the hospital campus. 

Laura said: ​“I’m a renal transplant patient – I was 20 years old when I had the transplant in 2016 and my dad donated his kidney. I volunteer for the Royal Free Charity. I wanted to do this because of everything they do for the hospitals and because the charity has helped me so much. They really helped me come out of my shell. They’re just really kind.”

A woman wearing a Royal Free Charity t-shirt, abseiling down the Pears Building. The background is green leaves on a tree.
Laura did the charity abseil to thank NHS staff for their care 

She added: ​“The charity’s volunteer team knew I was a daredevil, so they told me about the abseil before it was even advertised – and I said, ​‘yes sign me up!’. I love the adrenaline rush and the challenge of being able to push myself.”

I also love that doing this shows people that patients with kidney failure can do things like this. It challenges people’s perceptions of transplant patients.

“I’d done mini abseils before, but I’d never done a big one like this before. It was very important for me to help raise money for the Royal Free Charity. After my surgery I decided to get involved with the charity because the care I’d received after the transplant was really good.”

Over £43,000 raised

Abseilers raised over £43,000 for the Royal Free Charity to support the 17,000 members of Royal Free London staff and more than two million patients they care for across north London hospitals, with more donations coming in. 

Participants included NHS staff members, grateful patients, fundraisers with inspiring stories and even one group of friends visiting from Australia who impulsively took on the challenge when they spotted the abseil event taking place.

Jon Spiers, the charity’s chief executive, braved the first 70-foot descent on Friday (9 May), and charity staff also scaled the wall during the two-day event, braving new heights together.

A man wearing a Royal Free Charity tshirt preparing to abseil. He is wearing a harness and helmet and he is stood by a male Royal Marine.
Jon was the first to take the plunge to descend the Pears Building 

Jon said: ​“The Pears Building is a beacon of hope, home to brilliant scientists who are working tirelessly to transform the future of human health. 

“It was a huge honour – and quite a thrill – to be the first person to abseil down this iconic building. Taking part in this event is not just about the challenge but about supporting the groundbreaking work taking place inside these walls.” 

Rappelling for a reason

Elite Royal Marines led abseilers safely through the event and they even demonstrated a face-first rundown for cheering onlookers.

Lieutenant Colonel Gary Veacock RM, whose wife received life-saving treatment for a neuroendocrine tumour at the Royal Free Hospital, led the operation.

He said: ​“The care my family received has been nothing short of extraordinary. The teamwork and dedication of the staff remind me so much of my time in the marines; it’s never about the individual but the whole team.”

A woman wearing a harness and helmet stood next to a male Royal Marine who is helping her take off her helmet.
Heidi Veacock was the second person to scale the Pears Building on Saturday (10 May) 

Speaking about the event’s success, Gary said: ​“The inaugural Royal Free Charity abseil on the Pears Building was an overwhelming success, aided by fine weather and more than 100 abseilers who all did exceptionally well.

“I am extremely grateful for all the support provided, particularly the Royal Free Charity team, building administrative team and St John’s Ambulance, who all worked tirelessly to support the event.”

A special thank you goes out to those individuals who made kind donations, helping to raise much needed funds for this amazing charity.

“As Royal Marines, it was a pleasure to deliver the abseil, and we are already looking forward to potential further abseils in the future – watch this space.”

Community support

The abseil was sponsored by TK International, a north London estate agents.

Jeremy Karpel, co-owner, said: ​“It’s been inspiring to watch people confront their fears and step over the edge – quite literally – for such a meaningful cause.

“Seeing so many take on this challenge with courage and determination really puts things into perspective. At the heart of it all is a shared commitment to improving the lives of patients, and that’s what makes this event so special.” 

Daniel Epstein, co-owner, said: ​“The abseil down the Pears Building was an exhilarating success, and TK International was proud to be a sponsor.

“We watched in awe as our community and some of our own team fearlessly took on the 70-foot descent, each brave drop making a tangible difference for their vital work.” 

Latest news