Ali's Army: Best friend of young Edinburgh mum with leukaemia raises over £11k for Maggie's cancer support
The fundraiser was created by Megan Dudgeon to support her best friend, mum-of-two Alix Aitken-Arbuckle, who has leukaemia.
A fundraising campaign started by the best friend of a young Edinburgh mum with leukaemia has raised over £11,000 for a local cancer charity.
The initiative, known as Ali’s Army, was created by Megan Dudgeon to support her best friend Alix Aitken-Arbuckle, a 35-year-old mum-of-two from Edinburgh who is currently undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
The campaign, which has more than 100 challenges now planned by supporters across the UK, is being highlighted ahead of AML World Awareness Day on April 21.
All funds raised will support Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh, which provides free practical and emotional support to people living with cancer and their families.
Participants will take on a wide range of activities from cycling challenges and skydives to more unusual feats such as a three-legged backwards walk across the Tay Bridge.
The campaign has already raised more than £11,000 in its first few weeks.
Alix is a Doctor of Midwifery who works for both NHS Lothian and Edinburgh Napier University.
She lives in Edinburgh with her wife Carolyn and their two young sons, aged seven and three.
Her life was turned upside down in 2024 when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia when her youngest son was just 21 months old.
Her cancer has since relapsed and she is now facing a stem cell transplant.
In an extraordinary act of family support, Alix’s sister Gill has been identified as a perfect stem cell match and will be her donor.
During what is already a challenging time for the family, another of Alix’s sisters, Susie, is also currently undergoing cancer treatment.
Origins of Ali’s Army
The Ali’s Army campaign was originally designed as a way to keep Alix going during 100 days of isolation following transplant, when she would be unable to see many of the people closest to her.
Friends and supporters planned to take on challenges during that time so she would know she was being cheered on every step of the way.
Megan said: “When someone you love is going through something like AML, you feel incredibly helpless. We wanted to find a way to show Alix that she isn’t facing this alone.
“The idea was to keep her going during those 100 days of isolation after her transplant, but it turned into something much bigger than we ever imagined.
“We can’t do this for her — but we can do it with her.”
Samantha Lea, Fundraising Manager at Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh, said: “Ali’s Army is an incredible example of the power of community coming together to support a loved one during an incredibly difficult time.
“The support Alix and her family are receiving is so inspiring, good luck to everyone taking part in the challenge.
“We are hugely grateful the campaign is raising funds for Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh, every penny raised will help us to support people in our local community.”