Dunfermline teenager to fly high in memory of his best pal

Ryan Quinn was just 11 when his best friend, Aaron Murphy, passed away after a battle with cancer.

Young Aaron had been in remission for more than five years when his neuroblastoma – a tumour that begins in the nerve cells outside the brain – returned.

He had begun a pioneering new treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which was his main hope of survival, but tragically died on May 30, 2019.

Ryan, 16, who has just left Queen Anne High, was left devastated by the loss of his McLean Primary sidekick and will raise funds for a charity who helped him before and after Aaron's death.

"He was my best friend," said Ryan. "Me and Aaron met each other on my first day at nursery. He was slightly older and he had been there for a few months. He started in the August and I started in the January.

Aaron Murphy who passed away in May 2019. (Image: Contributed)

"We were just best friends basically forever. In nursery, he was diagnosed with cancer the first time so he was off for quite a while but he lived in the street just behind mine so I would always go to his house and we would play xbox and stuff like that."

Even before Aaron's death, Ryan and his school pals – as well as the Murphy family – received support from Team Jak, a charity which provides emotional, social and practical support for children and young people with cancer, their family, friends and those bereaved, and for families dealing with cancer.

READ MORE: Aaron Murphy's legacy lives on McLean Primary School

"We were in P7 when he passed away so I was just about to start high school. I was going through a massive change from primary school to high school while trying to deal with this," explained Ryan.

"Nothing will ever set you up for something like that. Nothing will ever be able to prepare you. When you are so young, you have no life experience or nothing. You cannot work out how to figure through it. This is why I want to raise money for the charity Team Jak.

Aaron Murphy who passed away in May 2019. (Image: Contributed)

"The week after Aaron's death, Allison (the co-founder of Team Jak) came into my school and she sat all the school friends down in the room and said I am always going to be here for you all. I will always be here to support you in any way.

"They have a place in Livingston called a Jak Den, a purpose built facility where children and their relatives can go and they can take their mind off things. In Jak's Den, for example, they opened a video gaming area that is named after Aaron. That was paid for by fundraising we have done previously. We have done sponsored walks and things like that.

"It gives them a place where they can take their mind off it, they can share their experience and talk about it. The staff are really amazing. They do music therapy sessions and go out to the hospital to see the kids and bring things to hospital to take their mind off it all.

"I know I could walk in their tomorrow and I would know that I would be given the right support."

Ryan, from Baldridgeburn, has remained in contact with the Murphy family and just last week attended an emotional P7 leavers assembly at McLean Primary where Aaron's little sister Emma received an award created in memory of her sibling.

"They do an award in partnership with the Carnegie Trust called the Aaron Murphy award. It goes to the P7 who shows his values and this year it rightly went to Emma," he added. "The older she has got, I can see him in her almost. She has definitely got his witty personality."

Ryan with Aaron's sister Emma and McLean Primary deputy headteacher Laura Walker after the P7 leavers' assembly. (Image: Contributed)

Aaron's dad Dougie was so proud to see his daughter receive the accolade.

"She has done so well," he said. "Emma is now moving up to high school and is now older than Aaron was and doing the things that Aaron didn't get to do. It was really emotional but it was a very proud moment.

"We are just getting through it. Kind of everything we do, is with Aaron in mind We are trying to make him proud and stuff. We are just moving forward."

Dougie described Ryan's fundraising challenge as "exceptional".

He added: "Ryan has been a big part of our journey. He really is just a lovely young man. He was Aaron's best friend and what he is doing for Aaron and Jak's Den is just exceptional.

"We are still a big part of Team Jak and Jak's Den. They are a great support for families going through cancer or bereavement from cancer."

Team Jak co-founder Allison Barr welcomed Ryan's efforts for their charity.

"We first got to know Ryan when Aaron was still alive as I started working with Aaron's friends in the school at that point," she said.

"We knew Aaron was not going to get any better and worked with his friends and his friends' parents. When he sadly died, we supported them through that.

"It is an honour and a privilege for him to do this for us. I think both for Aaron's family and Team Jak."

Ryan is set to do his sky dive in August – the date is still to be confirmed – at a centre in the Lake District. Anyone wanting to help with his fundraising can do so here.