A mum whose four-year-old son died just four months after a devastating brain tumour diagnosis has paid tribute to the "cheery and bright" boy whose life was cut short by cancer.
Nadia Majid, from Airdrie, has joined forces with her family and friends as the 17-strong team take part in Brain Tumour Research's 10,000 steps a day challenge in memory of little Rayhan, who died in April, 2018.
Rayhan started having bad headaches and being sick from October 2017 and was taken to four different GPs on six separate occasions, but doctors told his parents he was fine.
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A worried Nadia and her husband Sarfraz rushed their little boy to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in December that year, where an MRI scan revealed a mass in Rayhan’s brain. He underwent surgery to remove the aggressive tumour.
Another scan revealed the tragic news his cancer had spread, before Rayhan started radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He lost his fight against cancer despite completing his radiotherapy and first round of chemo.
Nadia, mum also to five-year-old Eliza and Zak, 14, said: "His big brother was nine at the time and we just had his little sister who was four months old when he got diagnosed. It came out of the blue and rocked the foundations of our world.
"It’s been a tough few years that we’ve had to deal with. He was such a cheery and bright personality - full of life and laughter. He was so kind and loving.
"Dealing with his absence and navigating this world without him has not been easy for us at all. Losing your child is a devastating loss."
To mark the fourth anniversary of his passing, Nadia and Sarfraz set up a fundraising group last year under the umbrella of Brain Tumour Research, which they called Remembering Rayhan.
They are determined to keep their boy's memory alive and fundraise for the charity.
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
During February, Nadia and her loved ones will be walking 10,000 steps a day to raise money to help fund Brain Tumour Research.
She added: "Our focus is doing as much as we can for his cause. We’ve done our research and seen other people being diagnosed with brain tumour and it’s become apparent to us how underfunded it is.
"We want to fundraise to help change the outcome for brain tumour patients.
"After surgery, Rayhan lost the ability to walk. He couldn’t walk, talk or swallow.
"He has to relearn how to walk and was on a wheelchair. We watched him learn how to walk again and that’s one of the driving forces behind us doing this challenge because he overcame so many challenges."
To donate to the 10,000 Steps a Day fundraising page in memory of Rayhan, visit the fundraising page here.
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