Cameron set to be star of Children in Need
AN APPIN teenager will make a television appearance on Sunday when he takes part in a special episode of Countryfile Ramble.
Cameron Allen, 14, was asked to appear on the BBC show, which is being produced in conjunction with Children in Need, as someone who has benefited from the charity.
Cameron was born with the rare condition osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly known as brittle bone disease, which means he is prone to fractures and uses a wheelchair.
In the past 18 months alone, the Oban High School pupil has suffered around 70 fractures, including his femur and radius in the past week, which his mother, Heather, said had been a particularly bad spell,
Thanks to the generosity of the UK public, the Brittle Bone Society has received funding from BBC Children in Need since 1996, and Cameron uses a specialised powered wheelchair, which the Brittle Bone Society helped to fund.
The show filmed five different people on rambles in the UK, all representing a charity. The BBC asked the Brittle Bone Society to be involved in the show and they recommended Cameron, who has done a lot of work with the Dundee-based charity, and he immediately agreed.
Cameron explained: ‘The ramble we went on was at Loch Leven in Kinross because that route has full wheelchair access.
‘They did pre-filming of me with the Brittle Bone Society and also at school, when I was refereeing the class playing basketball. John Craven was really nice and my classmates all enjoyed getting filmed.
‘They also filmed my six-monthly treatment – one day in Oban and one at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow.’ John Craven said: ‘Loch Leven is a beautiful place to visit and to have done so for such a good cause was an added bonus. Cameron did a fantastic job on the ramble and I can’t wait for everyone at home to see his story.’
The BBC arranged two surprises for Cameron during the filming. His former primary school teacher, Gerry Boyle, appeared at the ramble, the first time Cameron has seen him since he retired from Appin Primary School.
The second was a special video message from David Suchet, the actor who plays the TV detective Poirot, who did a special Poirot impersonation for him.
The appearance is one of what Cameron hopes will be many on television, as he wants to be a professional actor or director some day. He has already started his TV career, and will be appearing on the CBBC show
Eve next year, which he filmed in Glasgow over the summer.
‘My character is called Isaac, and appears in two episodes,’ he said. ‘I applied after seeing an advert on the Scottish Disability Sport Facebook page. Filming
Countryfile and then filming Eve was totally different, because with Eve you had to be really exact and careful, but Countryfile was really relaxed because it’s a documentary.’
Cameron is now in third year at high school, and drama was one of his first choices for subjects going into the new term.
A recent growth spurt has led to more-frequent fractures, but Cameron doesn’t let them get him down. He was delighted to be able to give the Brittle Bone Society some recognition nationally and hoped the appearance would help to raise money for the charity. The special Children in Need edition of Countryfile Ram
ble will be on BBC One at 7pm. A preview of Cameron’s appearance can be seen at: www. facebook.com/officialpudsey