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Boy who cannot eat abseils down hospital tower

Louise Parry
BBC News, Essex
Chris Hain A close up shot of Finley abseiling, showing his upper body and head. There is blue sky behind him and the grey concrete tower. He wears an orange helmet and blue hoodie, and holds onto the white and green ropes with green gloves.Chris Hain
Finley and his family wanted to thank the team at Broomfield Hospital for supporting him

A boy with a rare digestive condition that prevents him from eating has abseiled down a hospital tower to raise money for the ward that has supported him since birth.

Finley, 14, receives food through a tube twice a week at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex.

His digestive system cannot tolerate lipids – fatty compounds or oils which are found in foods – so he has them injected directly into his heart.

Speaking after descending the 154ft (47m) tower at Southend Hospital, Finley said: "I feel proud of myself that I've done it, and grateful for the friends who came with me."

Finley said his uncle accompanied him down the tower and "helped guide me down".

"I'm not going to do it again – I'm going to stay on the floor," added the teenager from Battlesbridge, Essex.

Finley's case is so rare that doctors have considered presenting it to a medical journal, as they believe he may be one of the only people whose body reacts to lipids in this way.

As well as the food at hospital, he receives carbohydrates and proteins - along with vitamins, minerals and electrolytes - three times a day into his stomach via a different tube.

His mum, Rhys, said Finley was in a lot of pain after doing the abseil.

"He's got really bad joints, so he's been in agony today – he didn't sleep last night because of it.

"I knew that it wasn't going to be great for Finley, but he was adamant he wanted to do it," she said.

Chris Hain A view of the tower from ground level looking up. Two figures are abseiling down , currently near the top. You can see 7 storeys of the building, which is mostly windows. There is a blue sky with white clouds.Chris Hain
Finley and his uncle were two of a group who abseiled down the Southend Hospital tower

Finley persuaded his mum to do the same challenge two years ago "to say thank you for the ward".

"I hate heights. I did it because it he was too young do it himself at the time and he wanted us to do it.

"I think it was even harder watching him do it today, than doing it myself. He struggled at the top and I wanted to be there.

"His uncle gave him words of encouragement and supported him the whole way down," she said.

"We're so thankful for Phoenix ward and outpatients – and hopefully it will help other children as well as Finley," she added.

Farhan Nabil/Mid and South Essex NHS Finley's mum Rhys gives him a hug after he finished the abseil. She wears a blue denim jacket and sunglasses and has her hair tied back. Finley wears his orange helmet and blue hoodie, and smiles at the cameraFarhan Nabil/Mid and South Essex NHS
Rhys and Finley say they are "staying on the ground" after both doing the abseil in the past two years

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