Aiming to give back after vital lifesaving treatment
The family of a‘warrior’schoolboy are looking to raise cash for vital equipment that helped save their son’s life.
Mark Cannon, 11, from Strathaven, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia last August but has astounded everyone by pulling through the battle of his life.
Now back home with mum Sharlene, dad, also Mark, and big brother James, family and friends have been taking part and are organising fundraising activities.
His uncle Victor ran the Glentress Half Marathon last year, raising more than £5000 for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
And now mum Sharlene plans to do the Kiltwalk this April to raise funds for the Schiehallion ward.
It well help them buy one or more specialist pumps which administer the cancer treatment, blinatumomab, which helped save Mark’s life.
“We are now looking forward and I want to do what I can to help others. The pump costs £4500 and the child uses it for a constant 28 day infusion of blinatumomab,”sharlene said.
“And in some cases between two to five cycles are required so that is five months attached to the pump.”
Workmates of the mum have also helped with folk from Lanark social work department raising £1200 in a raffle and also doing the Kiltwalk with her in April.
And Sharlene is also encouraging people to do a swab to be placed on the stem cell register.
There are a number of organisations who are involved in the fight against leukaemia including Anthony Nolan and the DKMS register.
Sharlene said:“people really have it in them to save a life – all you have to do is a swab in your mouth to be placed on the stem cell register.
“One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime and 50 children per year are diagnosed with leukaemia in Scotland.
“I would also encourage folk to give blood if they can as Mark had pints and pints of the stuff so if it wasn’t for blood donors he wouldn’t be alive today.”