A CANCER sufferer planning a gruelling fundraising trek along the Great Wall of China has been left devastated after thieves stole her collection box.
Heather Morrison, 40, is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time.
The librarian from Portobello is trying to raise £6000 with her husband Jim, 46, for the Maggie’s Centre at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
The couple, who married last year, is to take part in a trek along a remote section of the wall in September. Heather has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from the local community and has already raised £4000 for the centre, which helps to support cancer sufferers.
But last week, the collection box containing an unknown sum was snatched from the counter of Portobello Library where she works.
Heather, a mother-of-two who is at home while she undergoes treatment, said: “It’s very sad. Someone must be absolutely desperate to steal a box for a cancer support charity.
“Luckily I empty it regularly. The most I have had in there before was £59 in cash. The people of Portobello have been amazing. One woman even put in a £100 cheque.”
Heather, who has two sons, Oscar, 11, and Isaac, seven, hopes to start taking training walks this summer, but is waiting for her white blood cell count to improve.
The keen musician is set to fly to China on September 23 with a group of people raising money for the centres, then drive four hours north of Beijing to a rarely-visited section of the wall. Heather said she expected the ten-day trip to be a massive challenge.
“It will be the equivalent of walking up two Munros a day,” she said. “It’s meant to be a really strenuous trek in a remote area.”
Heather, who met her husband working at the library, added: “I always wanted to go to China and I’m really looking forward to it.
“It has given us something to focus on during the illness.
“I wanted to thank the Maggie’s Centre. They have been absolutely fantastic and so incredibly supportive.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, again in 2002 and then again in January this year, and began yet another dose of chemotherapy.
Heather has been raising money through busking with her violin group Fun Fiddles, and organising a ceilidh.
Next week she is holding a coffee morning at her house and on the July 25 is holding a fundraising auction.
Andrew Anderson, the centre head at Maggie’s Edinburgh Centre, said: “Everyone has been incredibly impressed by Heather’s determination to raise funds for us. It’s such a shame one of her collection tins has gone astray, but anyone who knows her will recognise that she wouldn’t let this setback defeat her fundraising efforts.”
Heather’s collection box was stolen from the library between 10am and 5pm last Friday
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “It’s disgraceful that someone could steal a charity box raising money for cancer sufferers. We hope they do the right thing and return it.”
