Kids' delight as superheroes chase villains down hospital building

Youngsters at a children’s hospital in Edinburgh were delighted to see their favourite superheroes scale down the side of the building and defeat two villains.

That was the scene at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People when Batman, Thanos, Spiderman and the Joker paid a visit as the unsuspecting children, families and staff watched on through the ward windows and from the ground below.

The thrill-seeking team did two abseils from different parts of the hospital to ensure as many children and young people as possible had a chance to view the spectacle before staging a nail-biting superhero versus villain waterfight while suspended in mid-air.

Organised by Edinburgh Rope Access in aid of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), the fearless feat is raising money to bring comfort and joy to seriously ill children in hospital this Christmas and all year round. So far, the heroes have raised an incredible £571.

Heroes: Joker, Thanos, Batman and Spiderman at Edinburgh Children's Hospital. — Heroes: Joker, Thanos, Batman and Spiderman at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital. Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity

Nicky Erskine, managing director at Edinburgh Rope Access dedicated the gutsy stunt to all those at the hospital who fight their own brave battles on a daily basis.

Nicky, who performed as Thanos, said: “Abseiling down the side of a hospital isn’t for the faint-hearted but it is nothing compared to the challenges that children and young people staying here face with such courage every day.

“They are the real superheroes so we wanted to do our bit to spread some Christmas cheer, bring lots of smiles to those on the wards and raise funds for an incredibly worthy cause while we were at it.”

Lisa Galloway, whose son Archie was in the hospital for leukaemia treatment when he witnessed the stunt, said: “To go into hospital and have him coming home talking about something like this, rather than things he has had to go through while he’s been in, makes a huge difference.

“It helps him forget about the bad things he’s gone through and remember the hospital stay for the positive things that have happened.”

Victoria Buchanan from ECHC said: “Every year, we at ECHC work hard to bring the joy and magic of Christmas to children and young people in hospital by creating a fun-filled living advent calendar around the wards with a new surprise activity every day.

“We were determined to make our first Christmas in our new home the biggest yet – and the superhero abseil has definitely taken the wow factor to the next level. It was wonderful to see so many children’s faces light up when their favourite heroic character dropped by their bedroom window and gave them a wave!

“We are enormously grateful to the team from Edinburgh Rope Access for being such intrepid supporters. For those facing a hospital stay at this time of year, special events like this really do go a long way in spreading happiness and lifting everyone’s spirits.”

You can support Edinburgh Rope Access’ fundraising efforts here.