Mum's inspiring attitude drives Dingwall woman on to gruelling fundraising feat
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A DINGWALL woman left feeling helpless as she watched her "amazing" mum slip away after a gruelling battle with brain cancer has fulfilled a vow inspired by her "best friend".
Jackie Sutherland was just 52 when she died, three years after being given the devastating terminal diagnosis of an aggressive brain tumour she fought without complaint.
Her daughter Katy (28) said: "The truth is if love could have saved her, she would have lived forever."
As she saw her mum deprived of all her senses before eventually slipping away, she admitted: "I've never felt so helpless in my entire life."
Mrs Sutherland's glioblastoma multiforme condition saw her undergo brain surgery twice before a programme of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Cruelly, she was then hit by a stroke in August 2016 from which she never recovered.
Determined to honour her memory and try and prevent others suffering similar heartache, her daughter vowed to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity to push for a research breakthrough.
Ms Sutherland said: "We had to do things for our mum that we never expected to have to do so soon, but if you can't help your mum who can help? She wasn't just my mum, she was my best friend and my hero."
The latest effort, a 26.2-mile Glencoe hike with a team of 22 supporters, pulled in £11,000 for the Jackie Sutherland Memorial Fund, taking the total raised over the last two years to more than £54,000.
She added: “The hike was tough mentally and physically and the conditions were so challenging. It was so hard to struggle through the peat bogs when also climbing up the hills. It’s known as Scotland’s roughest trekathon for a reason. It’s not for the faint hearted!”
Ms Sutherland added: “Throughout mum’s illness she remained positive and so empowering. Her attitude was, and continues to be, very inspiring to many.
“I would hate for someone to go through what we have as a family and have vowed to tirelessly raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of my beautiful mum and her courageous fight."
She and her father Ian are in the process of deciding on the fund's next big challenge which will be next year.
Various kilt walk events and tea parties have helped swell the coffers.
Anyone willing to donate or find more information can visit the page The Jackie Sutherland Memorial Fund
