We're right behind wee Mackenzie!

Fiona Howard • Published 20 May 2010 10:54 0 Comments

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LITTLE Mackenzie Cameron is only nine months old but already he has endured more than most people will in their entire lives.

Mackenzie suffers from a myopathy which means that his muscles can't support him and on top of that he has autoimmune enteropathy, a rare condition that occurs when the body's own immune system attacks the intestinal wall and affects the way it absorbs food.

The little boy, who lives with his mum Kelly, dad Richard and sister Naomi in Cardross, spends a lot of his time at Yorkhill Hospital for sick children and only comes home at weekends.

Fed through a tube and unable to move about normally, Mackenzie needs a special chair which provides support and allows him to maximise what movement he can.

However, there is no such chair available for the use of children in the Helensburgh and Lomond area, so Mackenzie has to spend his weekends strapped into his pushchair and unable to progress with muscle strengthening movement.

Kelly said: "Because of the myopathy, Mackenzie is floppy and the chair gives him the support he needs which allows him to move his head and kick a bit which all helps to develop his muscles.

"At the moment he is not able to do that so he is not making any progress at all."

Mackenzie has also been found to be suffering from the same immune problem that his older sister Caitlin died of three years ago when she was just seven.

His condition means that he can't eat normally and has to be fed TPN, total parenteral nutrition, through a tube.

When the Smiles for Life team in Helensburgh heard about Mackenzie they decided that raising the £1,300 to buy the special chair would be their first priority in 2010.

Kelly said: "There is a special chair at Yorkhill but apparently it belongs to Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board and because we are in Highland health Board area we can't get access to it."

Tommy Sharkey of Smiles for LIfe said: "I personally find that disgusting. If there is a chair in a stock room somewhere and Mackenzie can't use it because he comes under Highland I think that is ridiculous.

"When we heard about the wee lad the Smiles committee all agreed that they should make that a priority and that when Mackenzie no longer needs the chair it should be kept in Helensburgh for the use of other children."

To start the fund raising ball rolling Smiles have organised an event called "Summer of Rock" which is being held at Coopers Bar in James Street on May 29.

A number of local bands and musicians have donated their time for the cause and will be providing live music from 5pm until late that evening with donations at the door for the Smiles appeal.

* The line up to date is Tommy Sharkey and the Midget Millers, Dirty Clean, Rough and Ready Blue Grass Boys, Neil McClafferty, Joe Callaghan, Big Al and Mark and the Mighty Midget, Doug McKechnie.

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