A West Lothian couple conquered the Edinburgh Kiltwalk to support a charity that has given invaluable support after their youngest son was born deaf.
Stuart and Mhairi Shandin took part in the Big Stroll Kiltwalk to raise money for National Deaf Children’s Society on Sunday, September 15. The walk started in Musselburgh and passed through Portobello and Leith before finishing at Murrayfield Stadium, where they were greeted by their family. They completed the 11.2 mile course in three hours, 50 minutes.
They chose to support the National Deaf Children’s Society because their son Tommy was born deaf in April of last year and the family has been receiving ongoing support from the charity.
They’ve smashed their original fundraising target of £500, with over £1,000 raised so far for the charity, which supports the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families.
Stuart and Mhairi live in Broxburn, West Lothian, with their four children, Amelia, 14, Kian, 11, Annie, 6, and Tommy.
Stuart said: “The overall experience was amazing. It was a great atmosphere during the event and great to be part of it! Choosing the National Deaf Children’s Society was a no brainer for us. The support the charity has given us from day one has been great and the British Sign Language classes have been invaluable in helping us communicate with Tommy.
“The main inspiration though was Tommy. He’s our wee superhero and we just want to help make his life as easy as possible. He was waiting at the finish line for us but he was sleeping!”
Hannah Awesome, who supports fundraisers for the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to Stuart and Mhairi for taking on the Edinburgh Kiltwalk for us. We’re all very proud of you.
“The National Deaf Children’s Society is dedicated to supporting the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families. The efforts of selfless fundraisers like Stuart and Mhairi will help us to keep on doing our vital work, now and into the future.”
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