An Edinburgh mum has told how finding solace in gardening gave her the strength to support her daughter through cancer treatment.
Elinor Reid was told she had acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer aged 23, just a week after going to her GP with unexplained pain. Following the shock diagnosis in November 2023, she was immediately admitted to the specialist young adults’ cancer unit at the Western General Hospital.
Following two-and-a-half years of treatment, including seven months of chemotherapy, she is now in remission. However, the daily routine of hospital visits and and clinical settings had its own impact on her mum Deborah, 59 – known as Debs.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Debs, from Newington, said: “I found going to the hospital a real challenge. I don’t know how the people who work in hospitals do it, but there was no fresh air, no natural light, and it just sucked all the energy out of me completely.
“I’m a gardener, and I was only able to work a few hours in the morning before going to the hospital in the afternoon, but it got me through it – it became more than a job. My clients were great with understanding the situation as well.
“Being able to just go back outside, go to work or to my allotment just to recharge, that gave me the strength to really be there for Eli through her treatment. It was a huge relief.”
After she was admitted to the Teenage Cancer Unit, which cares for young people aged between 16 and 24, Eli was assigned an “adopted nurse” funded by Teenage Cancer Trust, and a youth worker from the charity, who both ensured she received age-appropriate care and support.
Eli and youth worker Nicola bonded quickly, and she became somebody she could trust to talk to about how she was feeling throughout her treatment.
She decided to visit 60 gardens to mark her 60th year in an impressive fundraising challenge.(Image: Supplied)
Debs said: “Fiona and Nicola were amazing, and both helped her through that period. Having something like that support there for young men and women is actually really important, as it’s not something you expect to have to go through at that age.”
While sitting by Eli’s bed one day, Debs was inspired to give something back to the charity for all everything it had done for her daughter.
Having started her career in marketing and public relations before retraining in horticulture after her daughters were born, she went into research before eventually setting up her own business, Busy Bee. Travelling on her bike, she provides gardening services to private clients in the capital.
She decided to combine it all into a fundraising challenge, cycling a total of 392 miles between 60 different gardens across Scotland to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.
She continued: “Gardens and gardening have always played an important role in my life. Through my work as a gardener and as a volunteer trustee at Jock Tamson’s Gairden, a community garden in Edinburgh, I found the solace and strength to help my daughter through her treatment.
“This challenge was my opportunity to give something back to Teenage Cancer Trust and the remarkable people who work with teenage and young adult cancer patients on a daily basis.”
Starting from Tarland Community Garden in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, Debs worked her way south over the course of three weeks.
She stopped at gardens across Angus, Perthshire and Fife, then visited her final eight in Edinburgh and the Lothians – including Jupiter Artland in West Lothian, Hawthorn Bank Walled Garden in South Queensferry, and private gardens opened under the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme.
(L-R) Nicola, Elinor and Debs with Charlotte from Teenage Cancer Trust.(Image: Teenage Cancer Trust)
Arriving at Jock Tamson’s Gairden in Duddingston, she was cheered in by family, friends, garden volunteers and representatives from the charity.
She added it was “no better way” to finish her challenge.
Elinor said in response to her mum’s efforts: “From the moment I was diagnosed, Fiona and Nicola were there, not only for my medical needs, but also for my emotional wellbeing, always taking the time to listen, reassure me and understand how difficult everything could feel as a young adult going through cancer.
“Within the dedicated Teenage Cancer Unit, they also helped me to connect with other young people living with a cancer diagnosis by creating a safe space where we could talk about our hopes and fears and the challenges of having our lives suddenly turned upside down.”