In 2009, Kiko was diagnosed with Cushings syndrome , a rare and life-threatening condition which causes tumours on the pituitary gland.
This rare disease can cause memory loss, psychosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, insomnia and muscle wastage, as well as further tumours.
Kiko’s recovery was successful and after her experience she wanted to give back to the hospital by undertaking an extraordinary fundraising challenge – to row the Atlantic Ocean solo and unsupported, and raise £100,000 for King’s College Hospital Charity’s Support Life Appeal, which aimed to raise £2.5 million for the new Critical Care Centre that was being built at King’s Denmark Hill campus.
However, six months before her planned departure date Kiko found herself back at King’s as her Cushings disease had returned. She had a second tumour removed in August 2017 and, in January 2018, she set off as planned on her quest. Kiko became the fastest woman to solo row the 3,000 nautical miles from Gran Canaria to Barbados, completing the journey in just 49 days and raising more than £110,000 for our Charity.
Since it opened, the Centre has transformed the way King’s cares for our most seriously ill patients. Each lifesaving room is a calm, welcoming space, with floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the nearby park, artwork on the walls, and technology to ensure patients can control their own environment – from lighting to privacy – and stay in touch with loved ones.
