Brave girl is taking leap for charity
AN East Kilbride teenager who overcame leukaemia plans to launch herself 100 feet from a crane in an attempt to raise awareness and much-needed funds for The Anthony Nolan Trust.
The prospect of taking part in the charity’s zip-slide fundraiser on Sunday, April 5, does not bother 16-year-old Calderglen High School pupil Amanda Cameron in the slightest.
For she has already had to overcome much greater challenges in her young life.
The fifth year pupil, who lives in Greenhills, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2006.
And, following an intense course of chemotherapy, she was given the all-clear in October, last year.
Although Amanda did not need a bone marrow transplant, she is still keen to highlight the work of The Anthony Nolan Trust, which has saved over 5000 people from leukaemia since its launch in 1974.
The charity was instrumental in finding a donor for young East Kilbride girl Katie Currie, who is still fighting for her health.
Every 21 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with leukaemia or a related illness and for many people a bone marrow transplant is the only cure.
It costs the charity £125 to fully tissue-type each new donor and place them onto the register and the money raised at the zip-slide will enable it to maintain and expand the bone marrow register in Scotland.
Amanda said: “Although I’m a lot better now, it’s important to remember there are thousands of others out there who are not as fortunate as I am and are desperately waiting for a bone marrow transplant.
“If the money we raise puts another potential life-saver on the bone marrow register, then the zip-slide will have been worth it.
“Three of my friends have agreed to do it with me and although we’re slightly nervous, we’re all really excited and hopefully more people will sign-up and join us on the day.”
Anne Hughes, regional fundraiser for The Anthony Nolan Trust, added: “Although we have had a good response already, there are still places available for the zip-slide, and we would like to sign up as many as 150 people over the next few weeks.
“Previous zip-slides have been very successful and we’re hoping people in East Kilbride will want to join in on what should be a great day out.”
The event, the first of its kind to be held in East Kilbride, will take place between 10am and 5pm at Calderglen Country Park.
A crane will take groups of five daredevils at a time to a height of more than 100 feet, where the ‘adrenaline junkies’ will be hooked onto a wire before zipping to the ground over 700 feet away.
To take part, all participants have to do is pay a £10 entry fee and raise £100 sponsorship. The event is open to anyone over the age of 11 years and it is hoped the event will help The Anthony Nolan Trust raise somewhere in the region of £15,000.
For more information contact The Anthony Nolan Trust on 01506 655361 or e-mail anne.hughes@anthonynolan.org.uk. Alternatively you can sign-up online at
ON A HIGH: teenager Amanda Cameron will be among the daredevils taking on the zip-slide challenge for charity.
By Lynda Nicol
