Today 6,000 kind-hearted souls will put their best foot forward to complete the Glasgow Kiltwalk 2014 and support some of Scotland’s most sick, needy and vulnerable children.
Among them will be Claire Harden and the 38-strong Team Dyas who have a special reason for taking part.
It has been almost three years since she tragically lost her son, but Claire is set to mark the anniversary of his death with some happy news a new baby.
In three years of doing Kiltwalks, the Harden family have lost a child, welcomed a new one and now Claire, 31, is pregnant with another. It’s been a whirlwind of emotion.
“Losing Jordan was the most awful thing we’ve ever been through,” Claire said. “The pain never goes away, but it’s something we’ve learned to live with.
“We think about Jordan and miss him every day, but part of coping with the loss is continuing with life. If we didn’t, we’d fall apart.”
Jordan was six when he died from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The youngster was diagnosed with the condition at 10 weeks old and given just hours to live.
But he defied medical odds to outlive the prognosis by six years, before passing away on September 3, 2011, the day of his grandfather Thomas Dyas’s 51st birthday.
Since Jordan one of the inspirations behind the setting-up of The Kiltwalk passed away, Claire has thrown herself into family life and fundraising.
For the last four years, Claire, husband Garry and dad Thomas have been avid supporters of the Glasgow Kiltwalk, collecting more than £16,000 for the charity, as well as Yorkhill Children’s Charity and CLIC Sargent two of the organisations that supported Jordan throughout his illness.
Last year, Claire, from Wishaw, had the first Kiltwalk baby, bringing two-week old Jacob along on the six-mile Wee Walk.
And this year, she’s putting her best foot forward again with her bump out front, after the fantastic news that baby number four is on its way.
“We’re absolutely over the moon,” she said. “I’m due on August 29 just five days before the anniversary of Jordan’s death.
“Having a baby so close to the time we lost him is bittersweet, but I think it will give us the strength to push through,” Claire said. “We’ll never forget Jordan, but we need to move on. And it gives us someone else to share our stories about Jordan with.
“Some people don’t like to talk about lost loved ones, but Jordan is a regular topic of conversation in our house. He might be gone, but he’s a huge part of the family we’ll never forget.”
Claire will complete today’s Wee Walk in Loch Lomond with mum Margaret, and sons Joshua, 6, and Jacob, 1, while Garry and Thomas lead a 32-strong team in the longer events.
“We get such joy out of supporting The Kiltwalk,” Claire said. “Every year it’s been a lovely family day and it’s the perfect way to keep Jordan’s memory alive.”
There are still four Kiltwalks to come throughout 2014, including Edinburgh on May 11, Aberdeen on June 1, Speyside on September 14 and Dundee on October 5.
To sign up visit thekiltwalk.co.ukRegistrations for the Edinburgh event close at midnight tonight.
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