One of Tayside’s first Covid-19 victims is being honoured by her grandsons in a remarkable charity challenge.
Dundee brothers Callum and Sean Robertson have undertaken a month-long running effort in memory of their gran Helen Hamilton, who died last March.
Sean, 30 and Callum, 28, from Menzieshill, have taken on the task to raise money for cancer research.
From March 25, the anniversary of Helen’s death to her April 13 birthday, they are both running 178km, the distance from Dundee to Aviemore, where their Gran’s ashes were scattered.
Lorry driver Callum said: “Last year we sadly lost our gran after a long battle with Myeloma and short fight against Covid-19.
“She had been fighting Myeloma, a type of blood cancer, for several years but it was still a shock to lose her to this horrible new disease.”
Callum said after Helen passed away a family chat over a few drinks had resulted in the brothers agreeing to do the run.
“To commemorate the first anniversary of our gran’s passing, my brother had the idea to do a running challenge to raise money for Myeloma UK in her memory.”
They will run after work on weekdays and at weekends and will have to average 5.56km every day for 32 consecutive days.
Callum said Myeloma is a lesser known cancer so as well as raising funds for research, the brothers hoped to raise awareness.
“Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is a blood cancer arising from plasma cells. At any one time there are around 24,000 people living with myeloma in the UK.
“It accounts for 15% of blood cancers and 2% of all cancers. Myeloma mainly affects those over the age of 65, however it has been diagnosed in people much younger.
“We wanted to raise awareness around this disease.”
Sean, a civil engineer, said: “Our gran regularly used to walk all over Dundee.
“From her home in Menzieshill she would walk to the Asda at Milton of Craigie, only getting the bus when she got to the flyover across the Kingsway because she didn’t like going on it.”
Sean said other family members will also be travelling the distance over the month in their own ways — either walking, running or a combination of both.
One of the boys regular spots for clocking up the miles is Balgay Park.
They hope to finish the distance there on April 13, beside a memorial bench to their gran that they hope will be in situ by that time.
The boys’ fundraising page is at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=SeanRobertson1990&pageUrl=3.