Perthshire Advertiser

Everyone’s eyes

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Caitlin and dad Liam with friends and volunteers for BBSUK a host of purple charity wristbands with our slogan ‘Supporting Caitlin Wilkie’. “Sales of these were phenomenal and very quickly we had made £1200 for our JustGiving page. “Over the Christmas of 2017 quite a lot of people started to donate money to our cause via the JustGiving page rather than sending cards and presents. “So very quickly our target of £5000 had been smashed in literally the opening three to four weeks of the page. “We then commenced plans for a race night which we held in March. “This was a roaring success and a sell out which raised us over £8000 on the night, which honestly blew us away. “After this, I organised a charity cycle with five of my close friends and called it ‘Wilkies West Coast Cycle’. “We cycled 400 kilometres in three days over the west coast of Scotland which was great fun and extremely challengin­g, but again raised over £2000 and helped spread the word of BBSUK over another part of Scotland.”

After an amazing start to their fundraisin­g campaign the local community, family and friends really got behind the Wilkie family, with various people taking on a number of events over the spring and summer months of 2018, including: the Inverness Half Marathon; the Monikie 5k and 10k; a charity walk around Loch Leven (26 miles in one day); a charity walk from Culloden to Clova (100 miles over five days); various tombola and raffle stalls at local events; talks at local events to spread awareness; the Monifieth half marathon; the Great North Run; a tractor run; and the Montrose Farmers Dance and Auction.

Earlier this month the Kirkside Bar in Perth also supported the cause, donating a year’s worth of money raised in a charity bottle placed at the bar, totalling £580, to BBSUK.

“It is down to the generosity of people like Ian Banks of the Kirkside Bar and its regulars that this figure has been achieved and we cannot thank them enough for their ongoing support,” Liam added.

“Our biggest and most overwhelmi­ng event of 2018 was undoubtedl­y the Dundee Kiltwalk.

“We advertised that we wanted to do this and if anyone wanted to join us.

“Before we knew it, ‘Wilkies warriors’ had an army of 72 people signed up for the 25 mile walk which blew us away.

“All of us were wearing our BBSUK t-shirts and the support was amazing. This event itself raised us over £18,000.

“The final event planned for our fundraisin­g is the London Marathon this year.

“My wife has a place in it with her best friend and the event lands two days before my wife’s 40th birthday, so it will be quite fitting that she is going to close out our year of fundraisin­g with such a big event so close to her big birthday.”

The couple also have a charity ball planned for Saturday, March 2 in Piperdam - exactly one year to the day from their very first fundraiser.

“This is for a celebratio­n for all who have helped or fundraised for us over the year and again is sold out with 192 people coming,” Liam revealed.

“We have five of the BBSUK trustees coming up from England for the event as well as the professor who is running the research at Great Ormond Street to do a speech to update all our family and friends on where exactly the research is and how important this money could be for our little girl along with all other sufferers out there.

“We plan on doing a presentati­on to the charity on this night for the amount raised to date, which is sitting at £73,000.”

Despite the immense rarity of Caitlin’s condition and the lack of a cure for BBS, Liam and his family are not going to let that stop them living life to its fullest.

“There is nothing we can do to stop this syndrome and it really is just a case of living dayby-day,” he added.

“We explain it like jumping onto a train - we are all on board, no idea where it is going to take us but we are determined to make the journey as enjoyable and memorable for our little girl as possible.

“So if the worst does happen and she loses her sight early then at least she will have made plenty memories along the way and will have done it with a smile on her face.

“Caitlin really is a star, not just in our eyes but for everyone who has met her.

“She has touched so many hearts over this past year and everyone who has met her has really fallen in love with her.

“She is determined which will stand her in good stead for the future.”

If she loses her sight early then at least she will have made plenty of memories along the way

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