An East Kilbride mum whose 10-year-old son relies on cannabis medicine due to his rare form of epilepsy has called on Scotland's new First Minister to cut the red tape to end her battle for government funding.
Young Cole Thomson lost a huge chunk of his childhood, suffering up to 20 seizures a day for six years, due to his rare and drug-resistant focal epilepsy.
However, since taking a daily dose of the cannabis oil Bedrolite he is seizure-free and has gone from being confined to a wheelchair with limited speech to training in taekwondo, as reported by East Kilbride News.
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However, Cole's family are finding it an impossible task to raise the £1500 per month needed to keep their son alive.
Despite the "clear evidence" in Cole's case a four-year battle for government funding has resulted in nothing, leaving the family no option but to keep paying for a private medical cannabis prescription.
As Humza Yousaf was appointed Scotland's new First Minister, Cole's mum Lisa Quarrell shared her hope that the former Minister for Health and Social Care will do a better job at helping kids like Cole get the treatment they need.
Cole's Goals inaugural ball was held at Hamilton Academical Football Club on Saturday and raised a whopping £15,000 for the brave youngster.
Lisa said: "We need help to cut through the bureaucratic red tape in this two-tiered system of our NHS, where Cole seems to have become a political football.
"My hope is the new First Minister Humza Yousaf who I met last August and who promised he'd remove this red tape keeps his promise and will do a better job than Nicola Sturgeon with regards to my fight for a fully funded NHS prescription for Bedrolite.
"The system needs to change and now thanks to the generosity, understanding and compassion of all the people and businesses that have got behind Cole's campaign for the past four years I feel a new glimmer of hope."
Through a host of fundraising events from the end of last year into 2023 - Cole's Christmas Wish Campaign in partnership with Equi's Ice Cream, a Spice Burns Supper for Cole's Marvellous Medicine and Cole's Race Night - enough money has been raised to pay for two year's worth of medicine.
Lisa added: "I am absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of support and help Cole's Campaign has been given over the last four years. This helped keep my boy alive as we worked as a community to raise the princely sum of £1500 per month.
"I didn't think it was possible to be further blown away by the amount of kindness and generosity shown in the last four months by the various businesses, organisations and the wider community.
"I am so relieved to be able to say that for the first time since finding out that Cole needed £1500 a month for his lifesaving medicine, that as costs stand right now, I have enough money for the next two years and can now seek legal representation."
Cole receives the cannabinoid Bedrolite privately as his NHS consultant is not allowed to prescribe unlicensed medical cannabis due to a lack of robust evidence of the drug's safety, quality or efficacy.
Drug laws are reserved to Westminster but Lisa argues that there is more the Scottish Government can do with the powers they do have.
The Scottish Government say that while they have "enormous sympathy" for Cole Thomson and his family, the regulation, licensing and supply of Cannabis Based Products for Medicinal Use (CBPMs) remain reserved to the UK Government and it has "no power" to alter this.
Cole's Goals at New Douglas Park was sponsored by Hamilton Academical Community Trust who are behind Cole's campaign.
A raffle and an auction was held and East Kilbride firm Energy Made Greener launched a fantastic prize draw to win a boiler with installation worth £4500, which is currently on Crowdfunder.
Mr McGowan said: "We were delighted to host the first Cole's Goals event at Hamilton Academical Football Club in support of the amazing East Kilbride youngster Cole Thomson and his mum Lisa Quarrell.
"The event was a huge success with those in attendance digging deep and helping to raise almost £15,000 to help Lisa fund Cole's Bedrolite medication for the next 12 or so months."
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