Community / Malcolmsons to raise funds for cancer charity as son undergoes leukaemia treatment
A LOCAL family is preparing to run at next year’s Edinburgh Marathon Festival to raise funds and to come to terms with news no parents ever want to hear about one of their children.
Twenty year old Luke Malcolmson, from South Nesting, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) last week and is currently going through treatment at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.
Parents Iain and Suzanne and brother Jacob are at his bedside. Iain said their life has been turned upside down, but they are trying to stay positive.
ALL is a very treatable cancer in children and young people. It will involve chemotherapy which has proved to be very effective.
The total length of treatment is likely to last over two years.
Iain said they were all “awestruck” by the professionalism and care Luke is receiving from the Teenage Cancer Trust – with all family members feeling very strongly that “we should support them as they support us”.
The charity offers unique care and support, designed for and with young people.
It funds specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, so young people have dedicated staff and facilities to support them throughout treatment.
More than 20 members of the Malcolmson clan, including friends and extended family, are now putting on their running shoes to get ready to tackle various distances at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Held in the capital at the weekend of 27/28 May, the festival offers 5K, 10K, half and full marathon races as well as a relay event.
“If you can spare a few quid in these difficult times for this amazing charity we would be eternally grateful,” Iain said.
“Luke faces a difficult few months but with the help of the NHS and the Teenage Cancer Trust he will prevail.”
More than £3,000 of the family’s initial fundraising target of £5,000 has already been raised in just two days.
The JustGiving page can be found here.
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