Aberdeen mum who lost seven-year-old son to cancer lights up city park to raise awareness

By Chris Cromar

September 2 2022, 6:36 pm

The stars are at Seaton Park in Aberdeen. Picture by Kath Flannery.

An Aberdeen mum who lost her seven-year-old son to cancer in 2012 is turning a city park gold to raise awareness of the disease.

Milene Munro, 53, is part of Glow Gold September, a campaign group which aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer.

Ms Munro’s son Braeden Williams was diagnosed with a brain tumour on the eve of his fifth birthday in 2012 and lost his battle with the disease two and a half years later.

Starting in 2016, the campaign has saw 22 gold stars put up on a tree at Seaton Park this month, each one for children who are currently being treated for cancer or are in remission.

28,000 awareness cards to city schools

As well as this, gold bikes have been placed in the city, with two at the beach and one at the Green, with another 14 to be rolled out tomorrow.

One of the stars at the park. Picture supplied by Milene Munro.

Ms Munro has also given out 28,000 awareness cards to all schools in Aberdeen, which she distributed last week and will be going out to pupils this month.

It is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

It is not just in Aberdeen where Glow Gold September is active in the north-east, as Gemma Dickie is involved in turning Buckie gold.

‘Gave me something to get on with’

Discussing why she got involved in the campaign, she said: “[It] kind of gave me something to get on with after losing my son.”

She added: “We’re campaigning just to get the signs and symptoms and awareness of childhood cancer out into the public and to try and get the gold ribbon as recognised as much as the pink ribbon.”