Granny from Coventry will abseil down to the Cathedral

An 85-year-old woman is set to rappel down Coventry Cathedral in a bid to raise money for Myton Hospices. Josephine Vitols is trying to raise £35,500 for the hospices and is set to make the 90ft descent at the end of September.

Vitols spent decades as an active member of the Coventry community, including 24 years as a carer. She has also worked as a writer for the Coventry Citizen and a blogger for the Coventry Telegraph.

However, last year Vitols was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, which required major emergency surgery followed by chemotherapy. “I’m not cured, but I’ve had chemo and I’m on the mend, so basically they’re keeping things at bay.”

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Thanks to a large number of doctors, surgeons, nurses and other medical staff, including the nurses at Myton, she is now in remission. Even today, Myton nurses are the ones who call her to make sure she’s still on track health-wise.

“I did one (repel) once. I went to the Britannia Hotel about 20 years ago. And for this one, I thought it would get a bit of attention and a bit of funding for Myton Hospice.”

Vitols said of the descent that it was “something I can do to give back and help others who are going through similar experiences.”

“A lot of people have cancer somewhere in their family, and so if I say, ‘I’m going to put up a five,’ all those fives multiply.”

Myton Hospice hosts the event every year and last year raised £69,300. The event costs £20 to attend, with a minimum fundraiser of £200.

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