Peerie booklet in memory of brave Charlie

A baking book has been launched in memory of much-loved youngster Charlie Newlands –
with hundreds of copies in demand.

Charlie’s grandmother Jessamine Newlands said the recipes had been collected to raise money and awareness of the work at the Schiehallion Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Six-year-old Charlie had received care at the hospital after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and Fanconi’s anaemia.

“I’m putten out about 550 already,” Mrs Newlands said, with shops across the isles taking the booklet and plenty of folk wanting a copy.

She has about 450 left for the craft fair this weekend, but hopes to have another 500 ready for today.

“It’s been incredible with the amount of folk that have been emailing and wanting it, but it’s a very good cause.”

Mrs Newlands also lost her husband to cancer and said she wanted to give something back to the specialist ward that had helped Charlie.

He was given a bone marrow transplant she said but sadly died in April last year.

“He passed away but there are plenty more that are suffering and will be suffering for a long while,” she said.

“Even if they get the bone marrow transplant it’s years before they get clear…

“I was wondering what I could do but I couldn’t really think of anything. At the time we did think about other things, but yun came and I just thought ‘we’ll go with that and see if it works’.

“But it’s worked I think.”

Mrs Newlands will be selling her Bonnie Isles tablet at the craft fair this weekend, as well as the recipe books.

Previously a walk was held by Bilfinger workers from Unst to Sumburgh raising more than £7,000 for charities CLIC Sargent, Chloe’s Chemoo Cows and Glasgow’s Ronald McDonald House – who helped Charlie during his treatment.

“I wanted folk to be more aware of the cancer like with Charlie,” Mrs Newlands said.

“They don’t really think that bairns might be affected by it, so I just wanted to raise awareness of it.”