Glasgow Family to take on the Great Scottish Runs

Young cancer survivor Calum and his mum Jackie have been limbering up and training hard for the Junior and Great Scottish Runs taking place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September in Glasgow.  The East Kilbride pair are taking on the challenge to raise money for CLIC Sargent which supported their family throughout Calum’s illness. 

Jackie is a nurse and first became concerned when she noticed a swelling on the side of Calum’s abdomen after he was brought home from school one day feeling unwell and lacking energy.  Following a trip to the doctors, Calum was diagnosed with a clear cell sarcoma in his kidney and began a six-week course of chemotherapy at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow. He then had an operation to remove his kidney, followed by another six months of gruelling chemotherapy. 

Jackie said: “When Calum was first diagnosed we didn’t know anything about childhood cancer, but we quickly met with a CLIC Sargent Nurse at Yorkhill who was there to explain things to us and answer any questions we had about his treatment. 

“Calum’s younger brother Euan found it really tough, and couldn’t verbalise all of the worry he was feeling for Calum. The CLIC Sargent Social Workers organised a fantastic ‘sibling’s day’ where Euan could play with other children whose brothers and sisters had cancer, and this made a huge difference.

“They were also there to visit his teachers when Calum was ready to go back to school and explained things to the other children in an assembly,” Jackie added.

Calum has now been off treatment for over three years and to celebrate he is running in the Junior Great Scottish Run along with six young friends, all from his school in East Kilbride.  Jackie will also be putting her best feet forward in the 10K Great Scottish Run in September for the fourth year running, and between them they hope to raise £100’s for CLIC Sargent. Calum’s Police Officer father Peter is also lending a helping hand and has organised a team of 10 police officers to run in support of CLIC Sargent on that day. Other fundraising activities will also be organised by the family throughout the coming months with a home baking sale already organised. 

CLIC Sargent’s Senior Fundraising Co-ordinator, Samantha Martindale said: “This family team are really showing us how it’s done! It’s wonderful that Calum and his friends and family are helping others affected by childhood cancer, and we wish them the very best of luck for their races! 

“Great Scottish Runners will be treated to a tour of some of Glasgow’s greatest landmarks, and what better motivator is there than knowing that all the money they help to raise will make a real difference to families like Calum’s whose lives have been affected by childhood cancer,” Samantha added.

CLIC Sargent hopes to have 50 runners on the big day with the aim of raising £10,000 to support children and young people with cancer.

For further information about the Junior and Great Scottish Runs visit www.runglasgow.org.uk.

For more information about fundraising for CLIC Sargent please contact Samantha Martindale at CLIC Sargent on 0141 572 5700 or email samantha.martindale@clicsargent.org.uk. top of page