North mum hails Tain shoppers who helped raise funds for hospital where she received stem cell transplant as a teenager
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A North mum who gave birth to a "miracle" baby after twice beating cancer as a teenager has hailed the care far from home which led to "the greatest gift I never thought I'd have".
And she joined other local "warriors" who have fought various forms of the disease in raising awareness of and funds for the facility which helped them turn their lives around.
Polly Melville made her comments after hundreds of shoppers visiting a Tain supermarket chipped in to help the Schiehallion ward of the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, which has cared for many seriously ill young people from the Highlands.
Ms Melville endured two years of treatment after the bombshell diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 14 while still a schoolgirl living in Kildary.
A relapse a year later saw the teenager facing more gruelling treatment which included having her ovaries harvested because the gruelling regime set up to save her life was likely to leave her infertile.
Looking back in the wake of a successful music while you shop event at Tain's Tesco, Ms Melville, who now lives in Alness, said: "This was so that in the future I could use my eggs to have a baby if I wished. I received most of my treatment in the Teenage Cancer Trust ward, and then spent seven weeks in the Schiehallion where I had a stem cell transplant. This tested both my mental and physical health. I spent my 16th birthday in hospital. Throughout my experience in hospital my family were nothing short of amazing, a constant support that I needed, and always knew I had.
"Some of the doctors and nurses I met were incredible and did go above and beyond to help me when I really, really needed it."
In 2017, some three years after being given the all-clear, she gave birth to her "miracle baby", Ruby, conceived naturally against the odds. She said this week: "She is now two and is the most amazing wee soul! I feel so lucky and blessed to have her in my life, she really is the greatest gift I never thought I’d have."
The fundraiser organised by store worker Carolyn Reason and supported by staff, some of whom performed, hauled in almost £750 in a matter of hours.
One of the performers, fiddler Emma Currie, is also repaying a debt to the Schiehallion. Currently in remission, she was first admitted aged 10 six years ago and given the same diagnosis as Polly on Christmas Eve 2014. She underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for seven months. Mum Elaine Currie said: "The staff on the ward provide an enormous level of care and support for which we will never forget. They work tirelessly with the kids and their families to help them deal with this life changing experience. They truly are amazing."
Poignantly, footage shot at the Tain event will be shown to existing patients in the ward as a show of solidarity. It's hoped to repeat the event in Tain.
To donate, see www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tain-tesco
