The Moirs, from Erskine, have raised over £22,000 in memory of their son Aidan.
A family who were due to take part in their tenth annual Kiltwalk in memory of their son say they are determined to still compete once it is safe to do so.
Team Aidan, from Erskine in Renfrewshire, is made up of Claire and Paul Moir, their children Connor and Rebekah, and other family members and friends. All had planned to take part in the Glasgow Kiltwalk this month before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Paul first entered the Kiltwalk in 2010 to raise funds for Robin House in Balloch, where son Aidan received vital care from the age of five.
Aidan, who sadly passed away in 2012 aged just ten, suffered from Late Infantile Batten’s Disease, a degenerative neurological condition which slowly robbed him of the ability to walk, talk, see, eat or even hold himself up.
Since Aidan’s death, his family and friends have remembered him by raising funds for Robin House and Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (Chas). To date, Team Aidan has raised more than £22,000. This year’s Kiltwalk was to be especially poignant for the family as Aidan would have celebrated his 18th birthday in May.
Claire said: “The Kiltwalk may have been postponed but we as a family are still determined to complete it one way or another as this is such an important year for us. We also want to do it in memory of Aidan and also for Chas, as Robin House was there for us every step of the way and helped us make so many amazing memories.
“Every year on the walk we have Team Aidan t-shirts with his face on them so he really is with us every step of the way and we always see his cheeky wee smile.
“And if any of us are struggling to carry on the walk, we just look at his face and think Aidan went through so much in his short life so we can do this for him and we always finish it.”
Team Aidan have already collectively raised £1,500 which will be matched by the Hunter Foundation for a grand total of £3,000.
Charlie Leavy, Chas challenge events assistant, said: “We are so grateful to Claire and all of Team Aidan for helping to raise so many funds over the years and it is heartening to hear they still intend to complete the walk in Aidan’s memory later this year.
“All the money raised through sponsorship and donations for Chas through the Kiltwalk will help support families across Scotland by providing vital care and invaluable experiences to help keep the joy alive for many children with life shortening illnesses and their families across Scotland.”
