Former Dounreay workers to take on charity bed push from John O’Groats to Thurso – 37 years after their first challenge
A group of former Dounreay engineering apprentices are gearing up to undertake a charity bed push from John O’Groats to Thurso next weekend.
It will replicate a similar undertaking they completed 37 years ago in aid of the Julie Wheatcroft Trust. Julie was a local girl who had fought leukaemia for years before she died in 1988.
As Amy, who is married to Julie’s brother Paul, remembers, “in order for people of this remote area to gain treatment for things like cancer they had to travel long distances to places like Edinburgh and Glasgow”, all of which incurred expenses for the families involved.
When Julie was 13 years old the family started the trust so that families in similar situations could apply for financial support.
Now the same group of charity fundraisers have got back together to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support and Callum’s Cabin, the latter a specialist charity that provides a safe space in accommodation which enables families close access to specialist treatment in Glasgow.
Since the original bed push a number of the team have lost loved ones to cancer, witnessing first hand how cruel and indiscriminate the disease can be. More recently one of the bed pushers was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Fortunately, after a period of intense treatment Dir Mackay is now in remission.
Having had unwavering support from his lifelong friends throughout his journey from diagnosis to treatment and onwards to a “new normal” the idea of repeating the bed push began to flourish.
The team are indebted to Caithness MacMillan nurses for their support and guidance to friends and family, and ever aware of the financial constraints in the NHS thought them an ideal organisation to raise some much-needed funding for.
They have also chosen Callum’s Cabin which provided invaluable support to Molly Reay, the niece of Jamie Morris, one of those original apprentices.
Molly was just 11 months old when a mass in her brain was diagnosed as cancer. Her mum Ashleigh describes how their lives were turned upside down. They had to relocate to Glasgow but were blessed to find accommodation at Callum’s Cabin, close to the cancer treatment centre.
It felt like a home from home and was a very special space just when they needed it most. Sadly, ten months on from Molly’s first hospital admission she lost her battle against the deadly disease, despite showing bravery like none other and smiling through it all.
The bed pushers have launched their own gofundme page, Ex-apprentices charity bed push: John O Groats to Thurso, and are appealing for members of the public to support these worthy causes.
They will set off on their 20-mile marathon from Groats at 8.30am on Saturday, April 19, having already raised more than £5000.