SALES of The Herald's 2012 calendar, which showcases the best of readers' photographs, has raised more than £9000 for a Scottish charity that offers support and counselling to people with brain tumours and their relatives.
The final sum of £9025.80 has now been handed over to Brain Tumour Action, which will help fund research into how low-grade brain tumours develop in children.
Brain cancer kills more children and young adults than any other form of cancer, though as yet there is no child-specific research ongoing in Scotland.
Brain Tumour Action, the only brain tumour charity registered in Scotland and the oldest in the UK, was chosen by The Herald for its fundraising campaign following its story last November about the plight of eight-year-old Caleb Duffy, of Shotts, North Lanarkshire, who has a rare form of tumour called a craniopharyngioma close to his pituitary gland, at the centre of his brain.
He was diagnosed following a visit to the local optician, as he was having severe headaches and his parents thought he might need glasses. Doctors at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow were able to remove 75% of the tumour but he needed radiotherapy to shrink the remaining part.
The NHS in Scotland can only offer Photon therapy for this, which is risky because it can affect the developing part of the brain. Proton therapy, which is more precise but much more expensive, is only available in the US.
Caleb was lucky enough to be offered treatment at the Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, Florida, under a special scheme operated by the NHS. His condition is now being monitored at Yorkhill Hospital.
His mother Stephanie told The Herald: "We are delighted with the money raised for further research into child brain tumours, and it's good that we could be involved in some small way. Hopefully we have also helped raise awareness of how many children are affected by brain tumours. We are glad this money will go towards helping other children like Caleb, and we would like to see a Proton therapy unit in Scotland.
"Our family's experience has made us realise you can't look too far ahead. We are taking things one day at a time. We have met the most wonderful people along the way, and encountered the greatest kindnesses."
His father Sean said: "Thanks to Brain Tumour Action there is a wealth of online information about brain tumours, but there is no research fundraising here in Scotland that I'm aware of. Brain Tumour Action have Scotland at heart and have set up a network of support groups across the country, but it's a shame there's no child-specific research ongoing here."
Lynne Barty, secretary of Brain Tumour Action Scotland, said: "We are absolutely thrilled with the success of The Herald calendar. This is a major contribution from a single fundraising campaign.
"We are already supporting a highly significant research project in London into low-grade paedriatric brain tumours and the money raised by Herald readers will go into that, unless we can find a specific project for craniopharyngioma.
"We would love to see further research into paedriatric brain tumours in Scotland. However, one year of research can cost up to £60,000, which means it's a very expensive business."
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