North Kessock girl's diagnosis inspires mountain charity adventure
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A YOUNG girl from North Kessock has proved that being faced with a life-changing health condition doesn’t have to hold you back.
When Alix Callaghan (9) was told last summer that she had scoliosis – an abnormal twisting and curvature of the spine that will eventually require her to have titanium rods inserted – one of her first thoughts was what she could do for others.
This eventually lead to a family climb up Ben Wyvis near Dingwall to raise almost £3500 for the national Scoliosis Campaign Fund.
Mum Lisa explained how it all started: "I decided to take Alix to the doctor after she went for a dress fitting and the sales assistant kept pointing out that she had one shoulder slightly more protruding than the other.
"I think I was probably just expecting to be told that it was part of growing up so when it came, the diagnosis was a real shock.
"Scoliosis is something I had never heard of, but I decided right from the start that whatever worries I had I was always going to be positive in front of Alix herself.
"As part of this, and knowing that she is someone who always wants to do her bit, I said we might look at what we could to help other people with the same condition.
"Straight away she said ‘That’s exactly what I want to do’."
Alix’s condition means she has to wear a back brace for 20 hours a day every day to help her stand straight and allow her to continue growing before the surgery that will permanently fix her height.
Despite this the family decided that a sponsored Munro climb was the way to go.
"Alix was up for it straight away and though the day itself wasn’t great weather-wise we all had a fantastic time," said Lisa.
"To be honest nothing has really stopped Alix at any point. She does a lot of drama and dance and last year she was taking part in cross-country running. She also swims.
"Her positive attitude has really helped everyone else in the family along."
Climbing Wyvis in the company of Alix’s mum, little brother Rudy (6) and dad Paul, the family was also accompanied by grandad James Cassidy and uncles Ross, James and Rob, catching the eye of fellow climbers as they went.
"It was really funny," said Lisa. "Because we were all decked out in these T-shirts from the Scoliosis Campaign Fund people started chatting to us at the summit saying ‘We wondered who all those people in the orange shirts were’. Once they heard what it was all about some of them actually dug into their pockets and handed us donations there and then."
Lisa was also full of praise for pupils and staff at Alix’s school, North Kessock Primary, who she said have supported Alix every step of the way.
"They took the Scoliosis Campaign Fund on as one of their official charities at the end of the last school term and asked Alix to talk at assembly about her condition and how she deals with it, which was just fantastic," she said.
"The way we look at is this is a process we’re going through and the support and encouragement we’ve received at every turn has just been brilliant. We can’t thank people enough."
