For one Aberdeenshire family, it is has become all too clear recently just what Friends of Anchor can do.
Donald Davidson is painfully aware that the charity is there for when the battles of cancer are to be won – and will stand with families when they are lost.
The 54-year-old is one of this year’s Brave models as a result of his own cancer journey.
But this week has been one of the toughest for his family, after his mother-in-law Liz Reid lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on Monday, aged 71.
Mr Davidson admitted that going through with Brave while his family grieve is not ideal, but he is sticking by his motto of “don’t give up” and is determined to thank the charity that has become a big part of their lives.
At first he thought it was just an insect bite
The father-of-one, from Westhill, first went to see his GP six years ago and it was suggested it may be an infected insect bite.
It wasn’t until 12 months later he went back to the GP, and within an hour, he was having the lump removed at Burnside House at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and tests later confirmed he had malignant melanoma.
After more tests to find out the extent of the treatment he would need, he was given the all clear.
So in March 2020 when he found a lump on his arm he didn’t think much of it. But the results were completely different: this time the cancer had spread.
Mr Davidson, a housing options officer working in homelessness prevention, said: “I started on a 24-month treatment of immunotherapy. It is administered in the same way as chemotherapy. My treatment was once a month at the Anchor unit. My treatment began with Nivolumab – the side effects weren’t too bad.
“In November 2020 a second treatment was introduced Ipilimumab. Unfortunately after a second dose my body went into overdrive.”
Christmas alone
By December 23, Mr Davidson found himself in hospital in the height of the lockdown with no visitors in a room of his own. He said: “Thank goodness for all the technology to keep in touch with people on the outside.”
Spending the rest of December and then again in January in hospital he said he toasted Hogmanay and Burns Night with a saline drip.
Since then his health has stabilised and he returned to work in May 2021. He describes his employer Aberdeen City Council as “outstanding” for the support he has been given.
Mr Davidson and his wife chose to be completely honest with their 14-year-old daughter Siobhan.
“If she asked anything we told her,” he said. “Tracey has stood by every decision I have made. I have had so much support from friends and family. One of my great supporters was Liz.
‘We are going through hell’
“She died on Monday April 11 in the care of the Anchor unit. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2021. At the moment we are all going through hell.
“But we have talked about it as a family, and I wanted to say thank you for all the support I have received and that we as a family have been given.”
He said: “Jumping about on the catwalk in the middle of all of this is so far out my comfort zone. It is not in any shape or form something I would ever have seen myself doing. But the Anchor team are magnificent, all of them.”
“There are 24 of us men, all signed up – 14 of them have been waiting for two years – some of us are still going through treatment. The strength we have and give to each other is incredible.”
Brave takes place at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen on May 5 and 6. Tickets are available online via the Friends of Anchor website.
