A young Scots man who cared for his three younger siblings after losing both their parents six weeks apart has been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer aged just 32. Jamie Murray is believed to have less than six months left to live after the disease spread from his colon to the lining of his stomach within weeks of developing symptoms.
He was only 19 when his mum Shirley, 48, died suddenly just days after learning she had lung cancer that had metastasised to her liver in July 2009. The following month, Jamie and his three brothers, Callum, Scott, and Glen - then aged 17, 14 and 13 - were hit by further heartbreak when their dad Jim, 66, died from an aneurysm.
Jamie first began displaying symptoms of the disease in January when he started passing blood in his stools. After confiding in his late mother's best friend Ali, she persuaded him to go see a doctor who referred him for a colonoscopy. He was also found to be anaemic and underwent two transfusions but continued to lose weight while suffering pains in his stomach alongside a build up of fluid.
Ali Methven is now raising funds to help the brothers cover medical and funeral costs after making a vow to their late mother. The 52-year-old said: “Jamie was petrified because his mum had obviously died of cancer and, in the back of his mind, was thinking he had it too. Young men are renowned for burying their heads in the sand and unfortunately Jamie took longer than he probably should have to seek help from his doctor.
“But by that time it had spread. Nobody is beating themselves up more than Jamie is. The doctor said there was nothing they could do and that it was terminal.
“It’s just a tragedy that it has happened to Jamie after going through so much already. Nobody is to blame.
“This is having a huge impact on Jamie’s younger brothers because it’s bringing back all those emotions back from when they lost their parents."
She continued: "Chemotherapy will hopefully give him a better quality of life for a few more months. But they don’t know if it will even touch the cancer.
“He’s getting a three-week session of chemo to start and then another six rounds - provided there are no adverse side effects like severe diarrhoea or sickness.
"Jamie didn’t want to know how long he has left but he’s been given a benefits letter from the doctor that they give to people with less than six months left to live. He’s virtually bed-bound already. He has no energy whatsoever."
“He doesn’t sleep at night because he’s lying awake thinking about everything. He’s been told there’s no hope yet he’s trying to stay so positive. We’re just going to wait and see what the chemo does because nobody knows. We just keep hoping for a miracle.
“Funerals are expensive. We haven’t approached the subject yet of cremation or burial but that’s a conversation I’m going to have to have with him as well.
“Their mum Shirley was my best friend and I promised her that I’d look out for her boys. I've been like a surrogate mum ever since their parents died. The boys were left on their own."
Jamie and his brothers were separated when their youngest sibling Glen, who was born with the brittle bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta, was taken into care due to his complex health needs. After struggling to come to terms with their parents’ tragic deaths, the boys then lost their family home in Ladybank, Fife.
Mum of four Ali continued: "Jamie was only 19 at the time but he thought what his mum and dad would’ve wanted would be for him to keep the house and bring up his brothers. But they didn’t get any outside help. They were all grieving.
“It was an impossible situation that was never going to work unfortunately. They’ve only ever really had their nana for support. He tried his best but it just broke down. Glen, the youngest at 13, went into care and they lost their family home a short time later.
“The following year, Jamie was in a bad car crash with his long-term girlfriend Sara who sadly died. He walked away with minor injuries but it absolutely broke him. No one could have punished him more than he punished himself. Sara was the love of his life.”
Ali and Jamie hope that others can learn from his tragic story and are urging people to make themselves aware of bowel and colon cancer symptoms - a cause highlighted by the tragic case of TV presenter Deborah James who passed away in June this year.
Ali added: “Even with the Deborah James campaign being run at the time, which was so positive and high profile, Jamie still ignored the symptoms. He was mortified that he was having to go and get a colonoscopy but we’ve all got a bum.
“No one ever expects something like this to happen to them, especially when they’re so young, but it just highlights how important it is to speak to people if you’re having problems.”
To donate to the fund for Jamie, please click here.
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