Taking on the Kiltwalk: why I chose to walk for Friends of Neuro Aberdeen
Graeme Cran, Tax Senior Manager, will join our 46-strong team of 'Chartered Akiltants' for the Kiltwalk's 17.8-mile Mighty Stride from Duthie Park in Aberdeen to Bellfield Park in Banchory a year after returning to work following treatment for a brain tumour.
After experiencing daily headaches in January last year Graeme made an appointment with his optician to rule out anything eye related. He was immediately referred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) where he had an MRI and received the diagnosis of a brain tumour in February 2022.
Graeme, who joined Johnston Carmichael in 2012, said the Kiltwalk is his way of thanking the firm for the tremendous support it has given him and his family during a very difficult period.
“From the moment I was diagnosed the firm has been amazing. Susie Walker, Head of Tax, called me up when I got the date for my operation and said, please don’t worry about anything, don’t worry how long it takes, just take care of yourself and your family.
“At that point we really didn’t know what the outcome would be. It might have been a myriad of things and my life could have looked entirely different based on the outcome of the operation back in March last year. Thankfully, the surgeon managed to remove the whole tumour and it turned out to be benign and physically I am fine.”
More than 11,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in the UK each year and about half are cancerous. Brain tumours can affect people at any age, including children, and Friends of Neuro Aberdeen is a charity close to Graeme’s heart. It provides support to neuro patients at ARI and Woodend Hospital, campaigning and fundraising for vital equipment and treatment to improve the quality of care.
Graeme explained why the charity is important to him:
“Although I lost the peripheral vision on my right-hand side and can no longer drive, I count myself exceptionally lucky. I’ve seen many others whose outcome wasn’t like mine and every now and then it stops me in my tracks, thinking, well actually I’ve come away from this virtually unscathed whereas many others don’t survive or have life altering consequences as a result. That’s why I want to support Friends of Neuro Aberdeen.”
I count myself exceptionally lucky. I’ve seen many others whose outcome wasn’t like mine and every now and then it stops me in my tracks. That’s why I want to support Friends of Neuro Aberdeen.
In preparation for the Kiltwalk, Graeme has been going out for hour-long walks near where he lives but he says it will be a huge challenge, having lost fitness during his recovery. He said:
“Before my daughter was born seven years ago, I could have done this in my sleep but after spending a month in bed following surgery last year my body really changed, and I get tired more easily. I haven’t pushed myself much since then and I know it will be a real shock to the system.”
We have been a gold sponsor of Scotland’s favourite mass participation charity event for the past seven years as part of our commitment to supporting the communities in which our 850 people live and work. To date, we have raised over £45,000 for numerous charities across Scotland.
In addition to Friends of Neuro, our team of 'Chartered Akiltants' are raising funds for charities including Friends of ANCHOR, Abernecessities, Mental Health Aberdeen, AFC Community Trust, Macmillan, Marie Curie, Dementia UK.
To sponsor Graeme and help raise funds for Friends of Neuro Aberdeen, follow the link below:
