We are #TeamHamilton Lyn (mum) Robin (dad) Archie, Nancy and Murin. Boyana,Craig,Sam,Jacob, Tobie, Finlay, Kate,Janice and Kenny

All of us (apart from Murin who will be part of the support crew) along with friends are BRAVELY or STUPIDLY (you decide) taking on Edinburgh Marathon Full,Half and 2 relay teams for BONE CANCER RESEARCH TRUST.

I’ll introduce you to all the runners below.

PLEASE IF YOU CAN DONATE ANY AMOUNT it all adds up!

PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE TOO.

OUR STORY

Our son Archie was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma a type of Bone Cancer in October 2022 at the age of 15 years old. The tumour was located at the base of his spine and was inoperateable due to being entangled with his nerve endings. He couldn't walk properly and there was real fears of paralysation so had emergency chemotherapy a few days after being diagnosed.

What followed over the next 10 months was a gruelling, brutal and intense treatment plan of 14 cycles of Chemotherapy which was every other week. As well as this Archie and I (mum) spent 6 weeks in Manchester as he also had 30 Proton Beam Radiotherapy treatments which is radiotherapy targeted directly to the tumour on top of having Chemotherapy when he was well enough. Archie was very ill at times but tackled everything thrown at him with humour (mainly at my expense or the nurses,lol!) and sheer determination.

Archie finished his last chemo cycle in July he has had clear scans but we did get a fright at his last scan thinking it was back but thankfully not. More scans every few months are required. We are living from scan to scan.

Last year Archie was invited to open The 2023 Edinburgh Marathon which he was honoured to do. After finishing a 5 day chemo cycle in hospital he opened the Marathon the next day feeling very unwell at times. Scared he was going to be sick on the runners, now that would have been a memorable way to start the marathon, thankfully he didn’t!

We made a promise to ourselves and he said "NEXT YEAR I'll be doing this in one way or another". And here we are just 10 months after his last chemotherapy cycle and a lot of hard work and ups and downs.

Archie will be running as part of 1 of our relay teams made up of Archie and his pals. He will be running the 1st leg which 8.2 miles long. So he will be at that same starting line as last year but in a very different position. Archies dad Robin will also run a leg of the relay in our 2nd relay team made up of family and friends.

Also during this time Nancy Archies wee sister underwent her 3rd Brain Surgery in February last year in London where her team of specialists are.Nancy has a Neurological Movement Disorder called Dystonia which is progressive and no cure it effects her mobility for which she mainly uses a power wheelchair and she has lost the ability to verbalise. She has a neurostimulator in her tummy wired to rods in her brain which help her movements, a bit like Tony Stark she likes to say. Lets hope this gives us some super strength as I will be doing the FULL 26.2 miles pushing Nancy in her new running buggy.

We are not runners but we are determined to raise awareness for Bone Cancer and want to raise as MUCH MONEY as we can for a special fund called FRANKS FUND with 100% of funds going towards research and finding a cure for Ewings Sarcoma. As unbelievably Bone Cancer and childhood cancers receive a teeny tiny amount of funding with brutal treatment plans and survival rates have not changed in close to 40 years!!

We feel a real connection with Franks story and with his family. Sadly he passed away, which is just horrific, no family should have to go through this utter heartbreak. Unfortunately too many do. You can read Franks story below.

OUR TEAM #TeamHamilton

Lyn and Nancy FULL MARATHON (Lyn pushing Nancy in running buggy)

Craig FULL MARATHON

Boyana. FULL MARATHON

Sam. HALF MARATHON

RELAY TEAM 1. Archie & Pals ‘The Young Ones’

Leg 1 8.3 Miles. ARCHIE

Leg 2. 5.5 Miles. TOBIE

Leg 3. 8. Miles. FINLAY

Leg 4. 4.4 Miles JACOB

RELAY TEAM 2. ‘The More Mature??’

Leg 1 8.3 Miles. KATE

Leg 2. 5.5 Miles. JANICE

Leg 3. 8. Miles. KENNY

Leg 4. 4.4 Miles ROBIN

WISH US LUCK AS WE WILL NEED EVERY BIT OF IT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IT MEANS THE WORLD.

Lyn & #TeamHamilton

FRANKS STORY

Fabulous Frank. Our bundle of joy. Our happy-go-lucky boy. Frank was so full of life, so full of energy. He made us laugh everyday with his quirky sense of humour and his big, cheeky grin.

In April 2016,, our world collapsed when Frank was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. He was just 11 years old.

The next 12 months was tougher for Frank than anything we could ever have imagined: 14 exhausting cycles of chemotherapy, 2 months of proton therapy and an horrific 8 hour operation to remove the tumour and a substantial part of his pelvis.

Then in September 2017, after just 5 months in remission, we found out the disease had returned. Our beautiful boys short life ended on 9th February 2019. We are left devastated but immensely proud.

Frank would never have wanted any child to suffer as he suffered. If his death is to have any meaning at all, it needs to be to help people who are diagnosed in the future by raising funds that can be invested in much needed research.

Franks Family