Brother's gig tribute to his 'inspiration'

Later, as young men, they shared a love of good, live music and a gritty determination to make the most of life.

Down the years their deep-rooted, brotherly love went unspoken. They didn't need to discuss how much they meant to each other, just going for a pint and a blether was enough.

Now, though, as 18-year-old Jamie faces the fight of his life in a cancer ward, brother Rory, lead guitarist with Edinburgh-based blues rock band Black Cherokee, has revealed the depths of his feelings in a poignant and moving song dedicated to his remarkable courage.

Fittingly entitled Brother, it will be the heart-rending highlight of an emotionally-charged gig on Thursday night which will pay remarkable tribute to Jamie's four-year cancer battle and also raise funds to help young cancer patients in future.

For Jamie - dealt blow after vicious blow as the cancer spread from his bowel to his stomach then formed tumours deep in his brain - the song's haunting melody and heartfelt lyrics are bittersweet.

"I cried when I heard it," he says in a whisper, as he recovers from a recent setback to his treatment at the Sick Kids' Teenage Cancer Trust unit. "It broke my heart, but I'm really pleased about it, too. It's nice to know that it's for a good cause."

The rock-blues ballad, which is being released as a fundraising single, includes the touching lines: "You're still shining, you inspire me; Happy, sad, through good and bad, I'll be waiting for you" and "Times we've shared through thick and thin I'll always treasure . . ."

Jamie in hospital with brother Rory, left, and bandmate Chris Humphries.

It also laments the cruelty of Jamie's cancer fight with the lyrics: "Dealt a bad hand it's so unfair; I sometimes question why you?"

Black Cherokee will perform it live at Studio 24 in Calton Road, the climax of a tribute gig to Jamie which has been dubbed "One More for the Road". Also taking part are local bands The Black Jack Blues Band and Still Whisky, with proceeds going to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Rory, 21, says he wrote the song with his bandmates to help sum up how he felt as he witnessed Jamie's relentless fight against his cruel condition.

"He's the bravest person I know," he says, watching Jamie, teenage frame battered by the cocktail of drugs required to tackle his condition, shuffle slowly from his chair to his bed in the TCT unit at the Sick Kids.

"Every time he's been given bad news, his reaction has been to shrug and say 'OK, but I'm going to keep on living my life as much as possible'."He is so strong, it's incredible."

Jamie, of Craigmount Brae, Corstorphine, was 14 when regular bouts of vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea struck. Eventually major surgery revealed a tumour in his bowel.

While parents John and Donna reeled from the diagnosis, Jamie admits he was too young to fully understand what all the fuss was about. "I didn't even know what cancer really was," he shrugs. "I didn't know what a tumour was. My mum and dad were in tears and I had this huge scar where the surgeon had gone in and cut the tumour out, but I didn't know much more about it."

The family, who were living in the south of England at the time, received vital support from the Teenage Cancer Trust, which not only provides units within cancer wards specially designed for the needs of teenage patients, but also organises get-together meetings, fun events and treats for them and their families.

Later, when they relocated back to Edinburgh, the charity became a lifeline as Jamie's condition worsened and doctors confirmed cancer had returned, first to his lungs and, more recently, to his brain. "We thought we'd come back as a fresh start after all this upset," recalls John, 55, an engineer. "But we didn't get much of a break before we found out the cancer had spread."

Jamie had just started at Craigmount High School when a routine check-up revealed tumours in his lungs. Keyhole surgery removed the growths but, within a year, he began to suffer blinding headaches. Later tests confirmed two tumours growing in his brain.

He underwent surgery and chemotherapy at the Western General where a lack of teenage cancer facilities meant he had to stay in an adult ward.

Although hopes were initially high, last summer it emerged that more tumours had appeared deep in areas of his brain which ruled out surgery.

Despite the news, Jamie insists he's tried to focus on making the most of every day. "Having this, you're forced to mature a lot faster than everyone else," he says. "You look at what other people your age are doing - like taking drugs or messing about - and you think 'why do that to your life?' It's not worth it."

While cancer isolated him from living a normal teenage life, the charity ensured he hasn't lost out completely by providing hospital facilities and support specific to the typical needs of a youth his age.

"I didn't really have much chance to make friends at school. I lost out on a lot of my education because of this, so my friends are the ones I've made through going to events run by the trust," he explains.

"The TCT conference is probably the highlight of my year because I'm around a group of people the same as me and I don't have to keep explaining what's wrong with me.

"They have a disco or we all go to the swimming pool and you can meet people of a certain gender," he adds with a cheeky grin. "You can just enjoy yourself without having this to deal with."

The fundraising gig and charity single will go towards the Teenage Cancer Trust's East of Scotland appeal, which aims to raise 1.6 million for facilities for young patients, including a six-bed unit at the Western General and a unit within the new Sick Kids.

It is, says guitarist Rory, the least they can do. "The song is completely dedicated to Jamie. He's been through so much but he just gets on with it. When we were growing up, we were just like any brothers - we'd fight a lot and we'd have fun together.

"It's hard to see him the way he is. How he's coped with it all is incredible."

Yet Thursday's gig will be the most emotionally charged the band has ever had to cope with, he adds. "We just want Jamie to be well enough to come along and have a great time," he adds. "This one is for him."

Brother by Black Cherokee (www.myspace.com/blackcherokeeband) will be available to buy after the gig on Thursday.

Tickets for One More for the Road, featuring local bands Still Whisky, The Black Jack Blues Band and Black Cherokee, at Studio 24 on Thursday, are available on the night or from Ripping Records, Has Beans Cafe or call 07825 020 703, price 5.

Unique care

The Teenage Cancer Trust is in the process of raising 1.6 million to help cancer patients in the east of Scotland.

It currently has one unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, which gives teenagers access to their own space, offering them access to gaming stations, computer equipment and gives them privacy from the younger patients.

However, teenagers with cancer who require treatment at other Edinburgh hospitals are generally treated on adult wards.

The Teenage Cancer Trust wants to establish a unit at the Capital's Western General Hospital for young people aged from 17 to 24 and one for 13 to 16-year-olds at the new Sick Kids hospital at Little France.

The charity is also aiming to provide more specialist clinical staff and broaden its support network for friends and families.

The state-of-the art teenage cancer units are designed to be attractive to older youngsters with bright, vibrant dcor.

They often include pool tables, jukeboxes, computers and webcams, helping them keep in touch with their friends and family and cope with gruelling treatment and often long stays in hospital.