A TRAGIC 19-year-old boy has died from cancer – just three months after his younger sister was killed by the same disease.
Cameron Armstrong, from Edinburgh, lost his battle against bowel cancer, a disease that rarely strikes before middle age.
The keen footballer was diagnosed with cancer in September last year and just four months later, in January, had to cope with the loss of his sister, Ellie, 14, from a rare form of the disease.
Cameron, who had been offered a place at Edinburgh University, bravely vowed on social media: “I will win, not immediately, but definitely.”
Both Cameron and his sister attended St Thomas of Aquin’s High School, Edinburgh, where the deaths have left many pupils in shock.
Tributes have been flooding in from friends on social media, one of whom wrote that Cameron had been “reunited with Ellie at last”.
An online fundraising page set up by Cameron’s parents states that Cameron was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer despite being an “extremely fit typical teenage boy”.
The public page has already raised more than £8,300.
His parents, Jim and Lisa Armstrong, wrote: “Prior to September Cameron showed no signs of ill health and never in our wildest dreams when he took unwell did we suspect cancer.
“Up until last year Cameron was an extremely fit typical teenage boy who was a pro youth footballer for Falkirk FC.
“During the same time, and in fact only in April 2014 our 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer, a rare form again (a peripheral triton sheath tumour) stemming from a small benign tumour from a genetic condition she had from birth.
“Like Cameron treatment did not work and sadly Ellie passed away at home in January 2015.”
The Just Giving page was set up to raise money for Cameron so that he could fulfill some of his last wishes with his parents and girlfriend.
Undefeated
The family have also been selling T-shirts with the phrase “invictus maneo” emblazoned on the front – the Latin meaning for “I lay undefeated”.
Some of the money raised was donated to CCLASP – an Edinburgh-based children’s charity who have supported the family over the past year. .
Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the UK, but 90% of cases occur in people over 60 years old. It is most common in people who are overweight, inactive and who drink and smoke a lot.
A peripheral triton sheath tumour is a rare, aggressive disease which also usually occurs in adults and is most common in the neck, forearm and lower leg.
To donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/CameronArmstrong/
Mr and Mrs Armstrong declined to comment.
