Best friend honoured with a sponsored abseil from Northampton’s National Lift Tower

When Danielle lost her best friend, Hannah, to breast cancer last summer, she decided to honour her memory and raise awareness with a sponsored abseil from Northampton’s National Lift Tower.

Danielle and Hannah had been best friends since their initial meeting as 6-year-olds in primary school. Over the years – through school, university, marriage and children – they maintained their close friendship. 

“We grew up together, and were best friends through primary school, middle school, secondary school and college. Although we went to different universities, we would see each other at weekends and would always catch up on the phone. We went on holidays together and just after the Covid pandemic we went on holiday to Cornwall with our families,” says Danielle. 

And it was on that holiday in summer 2021 that Hannah talked about being concerned about her biopsy results after she found a lump in her breast. Hannah didn’t get a mammogram because she was still under 40, and it wasn’t considered to be necessary. Thankfully, during that same holiday, she got a telephone call from the hospital confirming the biopsy results had come back clear.  

“I was with her when she got that call and it was a huge relief for her,” says Danielle “We celebrated, and we all thought there wasn’t any need to worry anymore.”  

A heartbreaking prognosis

However, a couple of months later, Hannah felt something was still wrong, and she returned to the hospital for a second opinion. Then, just a few days after her 40th birthday, she was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer.  The initial prognosis was 12 to 18 months. 

“We did manage to keep her with us for almost two and a half years, “says Danielle. Hannah was 42 years old when she died. Danielle recalls that her best friend was the most positive and amazing person, and she remained so despite her diagnosis. Unfortunately, the last six months of her life saw a rapid decline.

“I last saw her in a hospice in Barnsley, and it suddenly hit me that she didn’t have very long,” says Danielle. “It was one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever had to experience. When you see someone you’ve known and loved for 36 years suffering so much, it’s just so hard to take it all in, and I felt so utterly helpless.” 

A friendship that scaled new heights

That feeling of not knowing how to help her best friend led Danielle to set up a fundraiser for Breast Cancer UK while Hannah was still alive, in June of 2024. 

“I realised there was nothing more I could do for her,” she says. “So, I thought that if I could do something while she was still alive, then her family could show her what was being done. I wanted to make sure that Hannah knew that something was being done in her memory to help others because she was such a kind and giving person.” 

Danielle looked for charity events and came across the abseil, choosing to do it in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  

Although Danielle had done a previous abseil, this one would be from the highest permanent abseil tower in the world – the National Lift Tower in Northampton, which is a staggering 418 feet. 

“Previously, I’d done a smaller abseil with a group, so we had mutual support,” says Danielle “I’d never done one alone, especially not down a big tower rather than a wider building. It was quite an experience. The weather wasn’t great in the morning, but luckily, just as I went over the ledge, it cleared up with perfect timing.” 

Danielle scaled and then abseiled down more than 400ft in less than 20 minutes, all while raising more than £2,000 for Breast Cancer UK. 

She says the most challenging thing was climbing a wall at the top of the tower: “I’m quite short, so actually getting my leg over the wall was a bit of an ordeal, and I pulled a muscle in my leg. That was physically the hardest part of it all!” 

A constant and enduring connection

Hannah passed away on 5 July 2024, but doing the abseil in the following October helped Danielle mitigate that sense of not being able to do anything, of not being able to help. 

“It made me think if I could help save one person from going through what Hannah and her family did and I could at least raise awareness, it would all be worth it. It’s about knowing that’s what she would’ve wanted as well, to help make progress towards improving the prognosis for all those affected by this awful disease.” 

Danielle has raised over 200% of her original target, totalling £2,375 with gift aid.  

“Doing the abseil not only raised money for Breast Cancer UK but also created more awareness, all in Hannah’s memory,” adds Danielle. “Our family remains close to Hannah’s family, including her husband and two children, Finley, 12, and Isabel, 16. That connection means that my friendship with Hannah will continue to be a constant throughout my life.” 

To learn more about easy everyday ways to help reduce your risk of breast cancer, check out our Prevention Hub. 

Do you fancy taking on a challenge to show your support for Breast Cancer UK? Check out our fundraising page here.

• awareness
• BCUK
• Breast cancer
• breast cancer prevention
• Breast Cancer UK
• cancer
• Challenge
• charities
• Fundraise
• prevention