Parents raising money to help give Edinburgh boy, 8, battling cancer a longer life

THE family of an eight-year-old boy with stage four brain cancer has launched a new fundraising drive to help give him a longer, healthier life.

Sol has been battling tumours since he was four

Sol Barrie-Douglas, from Portobello, has been battling tumours for half his life, and sadly they have recently started to grow again.

After NHS doctors said all they could offer now was palliative chemotherapy, Sol’s parents Ruth Barrie and William Douglas decided to try alternative treatments to prolong his life and keep him as healthy as possible.

Sol has been battling tumours since he was four

William said after the first tumour was discovered four years ago Sol had an operation and underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. “Then there was no sign of disease for a while, then a year after the treatment it started to come back.”

Sol has been through several ups and downs since then but was able to go to school with his friends for most of the past year.

William said: “It was just at the end of the school year that he got a scan and it wasn’t good - there had been a lot of growth in the tumours.”

Sol has now lost most of his vision, but William and Ruth continue to do all they can for him.

William Douglas and Ruth Barrie are doing everything they can for Sol

“We don’t know how well we can do,” said William. “I’m an eternal optimist so I always like to think somehow we can cure this. But everyone around me is saying no. At the very least we’re trying to prolong his health and happiness.

“As long as he can be happy and enjoy life, we’re trying all these things just to extend his life.”

The family recently went to Majorca for ten days of therapy for Sol, which seemed to improve his condition - but they would have had to stay out there to continue it, so they paid £15,000 for the special oxygen machine that allows them to use the therapy at home.

It’s to pay for that equipment and the other treatments and supplements that the new fundraising drive has been launched.

William’s rock ‘n roll band Miracle Glass Company is to play a concert, Love Sol 2, at Old Dr Bell’s Baths, Great Junction Street, on Sunday September 8, 1-10pm.

Also appearing at the gig will be Justin Currie from Del Amitri, Kyle Falconer (The View), The Temperance Movement, Black Cat Bone, Colonel Mustard, The Gospel According to Mr Niz and more.

William said: “We did one a year ago and the funds from that helped him to have a good year because we were just trying lots of different things - diet, supplements, medicines - just to keep him going.”

Tickets for the concert are available here.

Sol’s aunt, Jessica Barrie, has set up a JustGiving page which you can donate to HERE