By Cheryl Wood and James Williamson

TWO SERIOUSLY ill children will lead a tribute to Celtic legend Tommy Burns when his former team meet Dundee United tomorrow night.

Laura Kidd (8) and Caleb Gardiner (9), who both have cancer, will be mascots at the match at Tannadice.

They will walk out with a banner for Tommy—who lost his battle with cancer last Thursday at the age of 51—dedicated by children from the oncology ward at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

The youngsters will also take part in a minute’s clapping to honour the former player and manager.

Laura, from Falkland, has neuro-blastoma and a particularly aggressive form of leukaemia. When she walks on to the pitch in front of a sell-out crowd it will be the first time she has attended a football match.

Since she was nominated for the honour, step-dad Grant Kidd has been teaching her about the team and she is now particularly keen to meet captain Lee Wilkie.

Grant said, “When she found out she was ecstatic and the more she has been finding out about the players the more excited she is.”

Laura was diagnosed with neuro-blastoma at the age of four and underwent high-dose chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh.

After a year of treatment she had only a year of good health before she suffered a relapse.

She received a different type of chemotherapy but in November last year it was confirmed she had also developed leukaemia—a rare side effect of the treatment.

Despite her illness, Grant and Laura’s mum Lynne said she was a girl full of beans, who was always smiling and whose spirit touches everyone she meets.

Tomorrow night will be just one of several highlights during a busy few days for Laura, who lives with Grant, Lynne, sister Cara (12) and brother Ewan (2).

When she returns to Fife after the match it will be to spend her first night in the new family home.

The Kidds are moving to a house across the road from their present home which has been specially extended to accommodate a downstairs bedroom and bathroom for Laura which she needs due to her ongoing treatment.

And on Sunday she will be the star guest at a sponsored walk in the village—dressed in a purple and gold princess fairy outfit and riding a pony dressed as a unicorn.

Villagers are expected to turn out in droves for the walk around Falkland Estate, organised by Jack Henderson of the Lomond Tavern, to raise money for CHAS.

Last week Laura also enjoyed a helicopter ride over Fife, organised by her oncology nurse, and last year the whole family went to EuroDisney, thanks to charity TCCL (Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia).

The Kidds have been overwhelmed by people’s willingness to help make life easier for them. Local councillor David MacDiarmid has organised a team of helpers to move the family’s belongings to their new home tomorrow night.

After learning of a delay in preparing the new house he persuaded officers in Fife Council to pull out all the stops to ensure the family could move in as quickly as possible.

Plans were drawn up in just three weeks, the building work was completed ahead of schedule and a painter has worked tirelessly to have the house decorated on time.

Mr MacDiarmid also paid tribute to the community’s support for Laura and her family, and said, “I feel deeply humbled by the help from so many people involved and have had my faith in humanity restored.”

Celtic-mad Caleb Gardiner, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2005, will lead out the Bhoys at Tannadice.

Susan Reid, the cousin who has cared for Caleb since his mother Dorothy died in 2004, said that the youngster was delighted to be meeting his heroes.

She said, “He’s really excited—he’s a big Celtic fan. His mother followed Celtic as well, so that’s where it’s come from.

“When he got told that the game would be against Dundee United he was put out because he thought he’d be the United mascot!”

While warming up for the make-or-break end-of-season fixture in his special Celtic kit, Caleb told The Courier that he was especially looking forward to meeting all the players in the changing rooms before the game—particularly Bobo Balde.

But he did admit that he might have a little bit of stage fright in front of a packed Tannadice Park.

“I’m a bit nervous about it,” he said, “There’s lots of people in the crowd.”

Caleb confidently predicted a two or three-nil victory for the Hoops.

Since being diagnosed, Caleb, who lives with his cousin on South Road and attends Charleston Primary School, has undergone chemotherapy and a special pre-release trial of American cancer drug temozolomide.

Susan said, “We got the option to use this treatment, and we thought we had nothing to lose. We’ve had two years longer with Caleb than we would have had without it.

“If it wasn’t for the work of Dr Wilkie and his team at Ninewells then we wouldn’t have had this past two years.”

She added, “It’s great that he’ll get this treat. We have to thank Charlie Kean for this, because he does a lot of work for poorly children.”

The family plan to hold a children’s fun day at The Friary in early August, to help raise money for Ward 29 and Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia.