A music therapist who works on a children’s cancer ward named after a famous Scottish munro has climbed the mountain to help raise cash for charity.
Alice Laing, who works with youngsters at the Schiehallion ward in Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth hospital has climbed the 1,083m Schiehallion mountain.
Alice, 45, uses music therapy to help youngsters find relief from pain or anxiety and started working for children’s charity Team Jak named after the young founder Jak Trueman.
Jak was just 15 when he lost his life to a rare and aggressive form of cancer only five months after falling ill.
In the weeks before his death inspiring Jak - a winner of the Young Scot Young Hero award - raised more than £100,000 for a number of charities, and shared his plans for a new charity to be created that would help other youngsters with cancer escape the trauma of their treatments.
His family set up Team Jak which provides emotional and practical support to young people with cancer across Scotland.
Alice said: “One of the first things I had to do when I got my job with Team Jak was learn how to say the name of the ward I was going to be working on in Glasgow.
“When I decided I was going to climb my first munro to raise funds for the charity, of course it had to be Schiehallion.
“I felt it was a little bit embarrassing to be 45 and never have climbed a munro, so I’m so pleased to have done it - but I’ve learned I’m no mountain goat.”
It was 35 years ago, that Prof Brenda Gibson OBE named the oncology & haematology ward at the children’s hospital after the famous Perthshire munro.
Team Jak, which already operates in Edinburgh, West Lothian, Fife, Dundee and Aberdeen, has opened as pop-up service on the ward and is looking for volunteers to help expand its services and raise funds to help more youngsters in Glasgow and from across the west of Scotland.
Alice said: “The charity does so much to support young people and their families, including providing music therapy.
“Music can be such a gift, and music therapy has so many layers to it.
“It can give the young patients I see a bit of distraction from whatever they are going through, it can give a bit of stimulation, help with anxiety and low mood, and also help with pain.
“Music can allow us to express ourselves when we can’t otherwise find the words to talk.
“Often it’s just a lot of fun.”
Team Jak is holding a fundraising Ladies Day lunch - hosted by Sunday Mail columnist Laura Boyd - at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Argyle Street, Glasgow, on Sunday, May.
For details visit www.teamjak.org.uk/shop
