John Gibson will walk 1,200 miles for his son Cameron.
The father of a Scottish vet who died by suicide will set off today (13 June) on an incredible 1,200 mile walk from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise awareness of suicide prevention.
Professor John Gibson tragically lost his son Cameron in 2019, which devastated him and the whole family. Cameron was a farm veterinary surgeon at Clyde Veterinary Group in Lanarkshire, who graduated from Glasgow vet school in 2018, and was a popular member of the veterinary team.
Cameron loved his livestock, his dog, travelling, skiing, climbing the Munros in Scotland, surfing and cycling, and from a young age, always knew that the veterinary world was for him.
John said: “Cameron never wanted to be anything apart from a vet. We arranged work experience so he could see if he might be interested in human medicine, but he said he didn’t like being inside all the time. He wanted to be outside and working as a farm vet.”
John, emeritus professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, set up The Canmore Trust with his wife Isobel, and children Malcolm and Eilidh. The Trust aims to provide support and advice for suicide prevention, and to support those bereaved by suicide.
Alongside raising vital funds for The Canmore Trust, John hopes that his challenge will inspire conversation about suicide, and help to prepare young people with suicide safety planning, so they stay safe when suicidal thoughts arrive.
Using the hashtag #onemanwalkingamilliontalking, John aims to bring conversations about suicide into the light, raising awareness of the issue. Averaging 20-plus miles per day, John's walk is expected to take around two-and-a-half months.
Isobel will join her husband for most stages of the walk, and John will visit Callander, where he lives, to thank the community for their support.
“I’m excited about the challenge but I wasn’t prepared for how emotional it would feel, because the one person who would have loved to accompany me on this adventure is Cameron, who loved walking and the great outdoors,” said John.
“We are doing this for Cammy. We miss him dreadfully and don’t want any other family to go through this.
“When Cameron died, I had to walk to cope with my grief. I would walk for many hours because I struggled to stay indoors and I also met mothers and fathers affected by suicide.”
For anyone wishing to support John's challenge, a justgiving page has been set up to support The Canmore Trust.
Images (c) John Gibson
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