Erin Wallace, River City’s Frances Healy and Mark Callaghan with the cheques. 

Recently he spent more than three weeks in their care and mum Susan said she was thankful for the help and treatment he’s had. 
Mark himself said, “I was here at least seven times last year. It’s my first time this year but it’s been my longest stay.”
Susan added, “He was diagnosed when he was 10 months old. They didn’t have early scanning then, as they do now, which can make all the difference to early diagnosis and treatment.”
Erin Wallace (9), from Johnstone in Renfrewshire, had her appendix out. Not the greatest of starts to the holidays.
“I’ve been told to rest for six weeks but it’ll be time to go back to school by then,” she said.
A smiling Frances Healy told Erin, who’d never been in hospital before, that things could have been worse. “I was knocked down by a car on the first day of my school holidays,” she revealed.
Clown doctors
Bet she didn’t have clown doctors to keep her entertained though. Believing laughter’s the best medicine these chuckling volunteers go round the wards, cheering up the children.
Frances said, “The care children receive is overwhelming and you can see the staff do all they can to keep spirits up.”
Louise Miles, whose daughter Katy (6) was treated for a rare form of cancer at Yorkhill, now fund-raises for the hospital. She said, “We’ve been delighted by the response to your appeal.
“You don’t realise just how important every penny is. Who’s to say it won’t be that one extra penny that helps us reach our goal and puts a smile on a child’s face?”
Your money will help the hospital buy a new, state-of-the-art scanner, which costs between £100,000 and £150,000. It allows even tiny babies to be investigated and treated at their cot-side. 
Consultant neonatalogist Dr Anne-Marie Heuchan explained, “Currently, we rely on borrowing machines. This scanner will provide cutting-edge care to babies with complex congenital heart and other life-threatening abnormalities. 
“The babies who benefit from this equipment are very vulnerable and come from all over Scotland, as well as occasionally from outside the country.”
And at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children there was equal delight.
“Brain Lab”
Maureen Harrison, Director of the Sick Kids Foundation said, “This is the last £10,000 we need to buy our £140,000 Brain Lab. It’s like satellite navigation for neurosurgeons and will give them extra precision during operations.”
The Brain Lab uses beams of light and the latest brain scanning technology to help surgeons conduct tricky tumour operations. 
Maureen went on, “The Brain Lab will let children and surgical teams stay at the hospital instead of travelling to the Western General to use equipment there. 
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have reached our total and want to thank all the Sunday Post readers who’ve donated money.”
Paediatric gastrologist Dr Michael Bisset from the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital 
said, “The money will go towards upgrading our endoscopy equipment which is both helpful for the children and the staff, making diagnosis as quick as possible.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Sunday Post readers.”
The Tayside Children’s Hospital, part of Ninewells Hospital, has high dependency, clinical investigation and neonatal units, outpatient clinic and a new paediatric operating theatre. They say the cash from Sunday Post readers 
will go towards improving facilities for the full range of specialist paediatric services.
So there you have it — proof that your money really does make a difference. And somewhere in a hospital bed a child may be smiling because of you and that one extra penny you gave us.

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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