The sky's the limit

In the summer of 2008 Alison Collard is having surgery to implant a spinal cord stimulator to help reduce the incapacitating pain she suffers. A patient of the INPUT Pain Management Centre at St Thomas', she has been under their care for two years and wanted to thank them for moving her towards surgery and the implant, which she feels will "improve my life no end."

In a daredevil stunt, she expressed her thanks and fulfilled a lifelong ambition by leaping out of a plane in a tandem skydive. Alison said: "Once I have my surgery this is something that I will never be allowed to do again, so this really was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me."

Alison raised £520 for the Unit, which will be put towards simple but extremely effective resources - Information Packs that can help patients manage their pain at home, gym and audio-visual equipment to help inpatients regain muscle strength, improve weakened limbs and record their progress across a number of weeks, months or even years.

Gifts and donations are also put towards new furniture, especially chairs that give much better support for patients in pain during their sessions, and contribute to a positive environment for those inpatients who have to stay for weeks at a time. As Alison said, "All these things are small and may seem insignificant but they really will change someone’s life forever."

Find out more about INPUT and make a donation to the Unit, or find out how to plan your own sponsored skydive.

Alison in freefall