There was nothing to celebrate for Ruth and Peter Morrison as the rest of Scotland ushered in the New Year in 2020.
On the day before the festive holiday, the couple had been in Aberdeen with their five-year-old son, Harris Don, when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma; an aggressive cancer which develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body.
The emergence of the tumour commonly begins in the abdomen in the tissues of the adrenal gland, often spreading to the lymph nodes, liver, bones and bone marrow.
It marked the start of a protracted course of chemotherapy for the youngster, who had been born with disabilities which meant that he couldn’t speak, walk or crawl.
And yet, there was something remarkable about this little boy’s response to adversity as he embarked on 23 months of treatment at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
He smiled at his nurses, cheered up his parents when they made their myriad visits to the north east from their home in Skye – and whether he was at RACH or Raigmore or further afield in Glasgow, his fortitude illuminated everybody around him.
Better still, while it had seemed unlikely at the outset, Harris Don was able to ring the bell for his recovery from cancer in 2021 and allowed the chance to return home.
It was a second chance for the family
As Ruth said: “He started school [at Broadford Primary] in August 2019 and, around that time, we noticed that he was having hip problems – he wasn’t able to stand properly. We had X-rays done and it turned out that he had a dislocated hip.
“He wasn’t looking good towards the end of the year. The week before Christmas, we had a doctor’s appointment and they asked to see him again in a week’s time, so on the day before Hogmanay, we saw the doctor and she sent us straight to Raigmore.
“The following morning, they did an ultrasound of his tummy, and that’s when they found the tumour on his adrenal gland.”
“It was a miracle that he reached remission and we got back to a normal way of life for a while – although you are always aware that it could return.
“So we decided we were going to give him as good a quality of life as we possibly could and took him to castles, to farms, to fairgrounds… places where he could enjoy himself.”
These adventures were cherished experiences for the trio and indelible memories were created as the poignant photographs of them together make clear.
However, neuroblastoma is one of the most insidious forms of childhood cancer, a condition which kills most of those afflicted by it, and although the remission lasted from November 2021 to March 2023, it proved just a temporary reprieve.
‘We wanted to say goodbye at home’
Eventually, after a joyous 16 months, Ruth and Peter, who had carried out a lot of research into the illness, were told that it had returned to their son’s body.
And, although he continued what his parents describe as “his best fight”, the resilient nine-year-old went to sleep for the final time on November 28 last year.
But if the Morrisons were grief-stricken, they were also determined to help those who had helped them during a turbulent, traumatic period. After all, they learned first-hand about the wonderful work being carried out by so many different organisations.
And, of equal importance, they had witnessed how many children and their families are affected by cancer and how often it was casting a blight over so many lives.
The hospital staff were fantastic
In these circumstances, charities frequently provide crucial support and there was no shortage of the latter when Harris Don was in hospital.
These included the likes of Kayleigh’s Wee Stars, Cancer and Leukaemia in Children Orientated (Calico), Logan’s Fund, Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation, Hamish Dear’s Warm Hugs, LoveOliver and When You Wish Upon a Star Scotland.
Indeed, as Ruth said: “We’ve tried to take the positives from it, because he was a very positive boy and I still remember him with a smile on his face, whatever the circumstances, and he loved Nature and trees and being outdoors and the countryside.”
For his part, Peter couldn’t speak highly enough about the compassion, clinical expertise and dedication of the myriad health professionals who were always there for them and their lad as they tackled the latest stage in their journey.
He said: “We were humbled by their efforts and their commitment and I can’t praise the staff at RACH too highly, because they couldn’t have done any more than they did.
‘We couldn’t sit at home and mope, we had to do something to give back’
“The same applies to all the different hospitals and groups who looked after us and Harris Don and it showed we couldn’t just sit at home and mope after he was gone.
“So we decided to do something to raise awareness and try to give back a small portion of what they had given us – which explains why we have done some charity ventures.”
These have already demonstrated the tenacity of this family in spreading the message about the scale of cancer among young people and the heroic but often unheralded work which is done behind the scenes to alleviate their pain.
A few days before Harris Don’s death, Ruth and Peter were involved in organising a Generation Game fundraising event which mustered more than £20,000 and led to the installation of important equipment at RACH and Raigmore hospitals.
Walking the West Highland Way
Buoyed by that response, the duo subsequently organised a bigger challenge – Hiking the West Highland Way – and embarked on the week-long odyssey at the beginning of this month. The weather was truly apocalypic as they set off on their crusade.
However, they weren’t worried about a little – or even a lot of – rain. Far from it. This was about honouring their son’s memory, boosting the coffers of the seven aforementioned charities and going the extra miles to maintain the momentum.
Ruth said: “It’s still early days since we lost our precious boy, but we have both found great comfort in getting out and about and having time to be with our thoughts, and processing all that has happened the last few years.
“So we came up with the idea of raising money for seven charities over the seven days of the hike. They helped us when we most needed them, so we want to help give back to them as they continue to support families going through the same journey as us.
It is about giving something back
“We have been absolutely blown away with the love and support from everyone who has donated or sent messages and we appreciate them all.”
They will never forget the special boy who lit up their days or the cherished time they spent together at places such as Aberdeen Beach and Easter Anguston Farm.
But now, the Morrisons are pushing themselves to repay those who shone a light in the darkness. And reminding others that there is positivity in the gloom if you look for it.
Further details are available at: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ahikeforharris
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