Meghan with mum Gillian, dad Brian and brother Ryan.

Meghan’s classmates and teacher Louise Gillies (back, right) with the cheque they presented to Carolyn Thornton (back, left) of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation in Edinburgh.

“Although she misses a lot of school through ill health, Meghan is a very popular pupil and someone we all really admire.
“We walked from the school to Dalkeith Country Park and back. I expected we’d raise maybe a few hundred pounds and was astounded at the final total of more than £1500. 
Sponsored
“The pupils were sponsored by grannies and parents who took sponsor forms into work. 
“The support we’ve had has been excellent. Even the teachers and some of the older pupils sponsored them.”
In a completely separate event, Meghan’s parents, Gillian and Brian, have also been doing their bit. They organised a fund-raising evening which made the fabulous total of £1300.
Gillian said, “Meghan is disco-mad so we had a disco in The Huntsman in Dalkeith. We 
sold more than 80 tickets for £3 each and shops donated lots of lovely prizes for a raffle including wine, chocolates and bath stuff. 
“Brian’s dad managed to get a signed Manchester United strip to auction. Darren Fletcher, the Manchester United and Scotland midfielder, comes from Dalkeith and his dad knows Brian’s dad so that’s how it came about. All the Manchester United players signed it and it went for £500. 
“You can only say thanks so many times to doctors. 
Family occasion
“Organising this night made us feel like we were actually doing something and helped take our minds off things for a while.
“The night was a good family occasion and Meghan and our other child Ryan (3) were there. 
“Meghan still has to attend hospital regularly. She had the hole in her throat (where her tracheostomy tube used to be) closed over two weeks ago and will return to hospital on July 20, but she’s not been very well this week due to a cough. 
“Our cat became pregnant recently and we let Meghan keep a kitten which she’s named Angel.”
Angel would be an appropriate name for Meghan herself, given the courageous way she’s coped with a disease which first came to light when she was only three. Hospital tests proved she had recurring polyps in her throat which, if allowed to grow, would make breathing impossible.
From the age of four, Meghan had to get them removed every six weeks and she ended up with a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe. 
Precise
Last year, docs at Yorkhill recommended Meghan was treated with the carbon dioxide laser, which has completely changed her life. The laser can reach difficult areas and is a much more precise way of removing the warts. 
Meghan’s been able to talk and remove her tracheostomy tube, which means she can lead a normal life and do the sort of things other kids her age take for granted.
But the cost of a new laser is roughly £40,000.
It’s a huge price, but with dedicated fund-raisers like Meghan’s parents and classmates, there’s every chance a new one will be bought and Meghan — and dozens of other children from all over Scotland — will be able to reap the benefits.

IF YOU have a special reason for contributing to or raising funds for our appeal then we’d like to hear from you. 
It could be that you’d like to thank caring staff for the treatment they’ve provided in your hour of need. Or perhaps a relative spent time in one of Scotland’s children’s hospitals and the experience has left a lasting impression on your family’s life.
Whatever the reason, please let us know. 
We’d be delighted to share your experiences with our readers. And, who knows, it may inspire others to follow in your fund-raising footsteps.

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