FUNDRAISING
Nicola Findlay
A dad and his brothers and friends put themselves through the ringer to raise money for a charity close to their hearts.
Stuart Carlin, 42, from Greenhills, recently completed a gruelling 12K Total Warrior challenge in North Berwick with brothers Brian, Ian and Graham, and along with friends Chris O’Donnell, John Quinn, Stephen Thomson and Lee Oakes.
The hardy group raised over £2000 for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
Stuart’s 10-year-old son, Rhys, underwent five operations in the space of just seven weeks after being rushed to Glasgow Children’s Hospital last September for emergency bladder surgery.
But after the first surgery, Rhys’s family were warned further operations may be needed and, sure enough, the 10-year-old had to endure four further ops.
His fifth surgery was, unfortunately, on the St Vincent’s Primary pupil’s 10th birthday.
Following Rhys’s scare, the kind-hearted youngster and his little sister, Jessica, decided to hold a cake and candy sale at school which raised an impressive £384.94 for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
And following on from this, Stuart decided it was time to push himself to the limit to raise even more money.
He persuaded Rhys’s uncles to join him and also got the support of friends and work colleagues.
Stuart told the News: “Following on from the first round of fundraising myself and family and friends were looking to set ourselves a challenge and raise even more cash for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
“After everything they did for Rhys and all the family, we wanted to do something for them.
“The eight of us initially though about one of the Tough Mudder course – but when we looked into it a bit more it wasn’t entirely suitable for everyone.”
Stuart went on: “That’s when we decided on the Total Warrior course and on top of playing five-asides like we usually do Tough