A moving story

Ellie Thomson is one of the smallest babies to be born in Scotland, weighing just 1lbs 5oz and arriving three months early in Aberdeen. She was transferred to Yorkhill Hospital at just a few days old and after four operations, life threatening infections and hundreds of blood transfusions, Ellie finally went home after 6 months in Yorkhill Hospital.

When the doctors and nurses tell you that life for a new born baby in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit is a rollercoaster you don’t realise how very true that is. You can have several stable days and then get sent crashing back with some infection or other. We are very lucky as there are so many babies that don’t make it home and we treasure every day.

Sara Thomson
Ellie’s Mum

Another moving story

Megan Finn is a very happy, outgoing seven year-old. Her favourite colour is yellow, she loves colouring-in books and dancing, and her favourite Disney princess is Belle. Talking to Megan, you would never know that 4 years ago, she was diagnosed and treated for a Wilms Renal Tumour, also known as Nephroblastoma - the most common type of kidney cancer found in children.

Megan was diagnosed quickly and doctors at Yorkhill Hospital gave her a Hickman Line (or as she liked to call it, her “wiggly”), an intravenous catheter used to administer chemotherapy. She had four weeks of chemotherapy to shrink the tumour before undergoing surgery to completely remove her kidney, followed by an additional 27 weeks of chemotherapy.

With those children in mind, Lesley and Martin began to dedicate time to fundraising on behalf of Yorkhill Children’s Foundation. A group of 35 friends, family and colleagues climbed Schiehallion, a mountain in Perthshire, and more recently her Dad Martin took part in the National Three Peaks challenge, raising over £25,000 so far.

Let us take you through Megan’s personal journey:


Listen to Megan’s podcast 

For some children, Yorkhill Hospital is like a second home; they spend months and years, not weeks there” says Lesley, Megan’s mum. “Megan is one of the lucky ones.

Lesley Finn
Megan's Mum