Kettlebridge family thank community for its support

Eight-year-old Leighton Morrison was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia just before Christmas and is receiving treatment at Edinburgh’s Sick Kids Hospital.

His mum Lesley and grandmother Isobel are travelling to Edinburgh and back every day to visit Leighton and started a JustGiving page to help them with travel costs.

They had hoped to reach a target of £600 and Isobel said she was “amazed” when they smashed that amount in just over 24 hours.

“It’s just brilliant,” she said.

“It’s just for travelling money - nothing else. We’re going to the Sick Kids and back daily so we just need a bit of help.

“Lesley and I just want to thank everyone so much.”

Leighton, a P4 pupil at Kettle Primary School, started feeling unwell at the start of December.

Isobel said: “It started with a pain in his stomach.

“We were at a service at the church hall. He said he was feeling sick and I asked him if he wanted to go home but he said he wanted to stay.”

However, Leighton’s symptoms got worse as the day went on and Isobel took him to Glenrothes Hospital that same evening.

She said: “They sent him straight to the Victoria Hospital. They kept him in on Saturday and Sunday then he was taken to the Sick Kids in Edinburgh on Monday.”

It was there on December 6 that the family were given the diagnosis, which Isobel described as “devastating”.

It’s the second tragedy to hit the family – Lesley also lost a daughter in a car accident eight years ago.

Though Leighton has a long fight ahead, doctors are confident they have caught the disease in time and he will eventually recover.

“His treatment is going to last three-and-half-years,” Isobel said.

“He’s not good at all at the moment. He keeps crying and saying ‘I don’t want to die’. We keep telling him he isn’t and that his medication will help him, but he’s losing his hair as well, so it’s just not nice at all.”

Whilst he remains in hospital two of Leighton’s friends have decided to rally round.

Scott Henderson (11) and Ruari Barr (10) will climb Falkland Hill on Sunday to raise money for the Sick Kids – and they have also already reached their target.

Scott’s mum Linsey said the response has been “incredible”.

“We’re currently sitting at just over £490 on our Just Giving page and I’ve got another £120 from their sponsorship sheet,” she said.

“The boys came up with the idea themeselves, they said they wanted to do something for Leighton.

“I think it’s a really nice idea. There’s really not much we can do to help Leighton and his family directly, what they are going through is horrendous, but something like this will at least benefit the hospital.”

To donate to the family go to www.justgiving.com and search for ‘Lesley A M Morrison’ or to sponsor the climb, search for ‘Walk Falkland Hill’.