Children receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital were greeted with a superhero sight on Saturday, as the Mosta Scout group abseiled past the young crowd to deliver some festive cheer.  

Dressed as superheroes from multiple franchises including Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Superman, the adventurous lot made their way down the hospital wall, waving at the curious onlookers.

“At first, there is always that adrenaline rush,” group leader Sean Bartolo dressed as the man from Krypton told the Times of Malta, “but when you know that, in this scenario, there are kids waiting for you from the windows, you’ll feel more motivated”.

The annual Christmas tradition began in 2016, with the group adding something different each year.

In 2018, they began visiting the wards after their descent, handing out gifts to the children while 2019 saw Father and Mary Christmas join the caped crusaders down the hospital wall. 

Real doctors (who are also leaders of the group) took the plunge in 2020 as a nod to the heroic COVID-19 front liners. 

This year, the scout group combined all the previous years into an extravaganza as the superheroes were joined by a doctor, nurse and the Christmas couple while adding some more heroine representation: Bat Girl and Snow White.

The Mosta Scout Group preparing for descent. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“How does it feel to put your life in someone else’s hands?” someone asked Dr Ryan Farrugia, a member of the Mosta group for 38 years, as he hung over the edge.

“It’s a slippery slope,” he joked.

The smallest of the group was a nine-year-old elf. “The first time I did it, I was six or seven,” she said. “I’ve even done it without a wall.”

In pairs, they descended as children looked out of their windows to catch a glimpse of the rare sight.

When the young audience couldn’t see Father Christmas, the group swung the holiday mascot from side-to-side making sure that everyone got to share in the wonder.

A hospital hero origin story

Hospital Heroes began in 2016 when leader Bartolo saw an image of foreign hospital window cleaners doing their jobs while dressed as comic book characters. 

“It clicked as an idea,” he said, Bartolo getting permission from Mater Dei Hospital and finding the perfect spot to pass by the children’s windows.

Since then, Bartolo and the group have successfully planned eight editions of the event, most happening during the Christmas period and several others during Easter.

As one of the largest scout groups in Malta, boasting more than 200 members, the Mosta branch regularly organises charitable events that combine their adventurous ethos with a good cause.

In November they hosted their 11th annual abseiling and zipline weekend fundraiser for Missio Malta, the island’s Catholic missionary.

The group raised around €6,000 for the NGO but was forced to cut the activity short after just over 680 rides, due to bad weather. Last year, the event saw more than 900 zipline rides. 

Scout Group leader Sean Bartolo dressed as the Man of Steel. Photo: Daniel Tihn

“The main aim is always education and volunteering,” Bartolo said, explaining that they are always looking for ways to change up the norm.

“To upgrade the camping atmosphere, we did it on water. We built a raft and slept on water, and another time we also camped in mid-air,” he said.

“We try to take the usual activity, like camping, but we upgrade it to something different. We abseil but with a twist like the Hospital Heroes. That way, our youths are still encouraged, are still motivated to always think bigger and dream bigger.”