Teen fundraises in memory of grandpa
For Josh Stevenson, his grandfather, Donald Graham, was his perfect role model.
Donald worked until he was 82 and Josh has many fond memories of the times they spent together.
The 17-year-old, from Kirkintilloch, who studies music at Springburn College, Glasgow, sadly lost his beloved grandfather a year ago.
Donald had recently retired and passed away less than a week after receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Josh said: “My grandpa was phenomenal – so intelligent and brilliant with numbers. When he retired, he was still fairly fit and healthy.”
Donald worked in banking and travelled the world, he pursued his dream of becoming an importer and traded goods that he bought from the Far East.
It was around a month after retiring, that Donald started becoming unwell.
Josh said: “My grandfather had a hernia and type two diabetes. He wasn’t eating the same and he lost weight. He went from 13.5 stone to nine stone. He was stick thin. We knew something was wrong, but we didn’t know what.
“I tried to take him out for walks and I had to support him the whole way. I really had to lift him up. He wasn’t standing, he kept tripping and he didn’t have any energy to lift his legs any more.”
Donald’s weight loss got so bad that he had to go to hospital. This led to his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
It was around this time that a purple branded vehicle was driving around Scotland – the van had been donated by Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental to Pancreatic Cancer Scotland (PCS), and the charity was on a tour around Scotland to raise awareness.
The van caught the attention of Josh’s mum, Fiona, and sister, Melissa.
Josh said: “They saw the van in two separate locations when my grandpa was in hospital and we found out he had pancreatic cancer. It was quite a coincidence. We started looking into it and realised the van was on a tour.”
The family travelled to the charity’s tour stop in Stirling, not long after Donald passed away in the November, which is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
Meeting the PCS team inspired Josh to start fundraising. He held a race night, raising £1300 for the charity, and he’s planning a skydive.
Having passed his driving test,
Josh is in the process of restoring his grandpa’s old car – which they went out in every Saturday.
He added: “We had the same routine every week, since I was about eight years old. He would pick me up, he’d get his car washed, pick up some lunch and go for a drive. I saw him all the time. I was very close to him.”
PCS is dedicated to the people of
Scotland whose lives have been touched by pancreatic cancer and associated tumours.
They are committed to raising awareness, improving education, healthcare and research and supporting patients and families.
Of all the major cancers, pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rates and these numbers have barely changed in the last five decades.
About 800 people a year are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Scotland, with a predicted rise of 49.7 per cent by 2027, PCS are determined to stop pancreatic cancer becoming the second largest cause of cancer death.
There is currently no standard screening test or early detection method for pancreatic cancer, though research is being conducted in these areas. Knowing the symptoms and risks remains key to an early diagnosis to give patients the best chance of survival. To support the charity’s vision to make the 2020’s the decade of change, PCS has launched the ‘Pan Can Clan’ to bring together a growing and inspiring community of people committed to the cause.
Fiona Brown, Development Manager of PCS, said: “Supporters such as Josh play a key role in bringing their voice, energy, determination and commitment to change the pancreatic cancer story.
“Having continued support from the likes of Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental also helps. The inspiring dedication of all our supporters fully embraces our beliefs that together we can make a difference.”