Mothers strip off to aid cancer boy
Stay at home mother Catherine McGeachan stripped naked for the calendar
Mothers from a small Highland community have stripped naked for a calendar to raise money for a young boy fighting cancer.
Twelve women from the Sutherland village of Brora have joined together to help eight-year-old Zander Heneghan, who is battling a rare form of the disease.
Proceeds from the 2011 Zander Calendar will help pay for his 10-hour weekly round trips to hospital, and fund research into his condition.
Zander's mother, Anne-Marie, who manages a children's day care centre in the village, said: "We are so grateful for the support we've received from the local community. Brora's a small village, but we all know each other and for these women to strip off in such a way just proves that we're more than just neighbours, we're family."
The Brora Primary School pupil and his family have to make a 10-hour round trip every week to Glasgow's Yorkhill Children's Hospital and the Beatson oncology clinic.
Mrs Heneghan said: "We're not out of the woods - Zander will need at least another 12 months of chemotherapy - but all we can do is remain as positive as he is. Of course there have been tears, but it's his laughs and his smiles that get us through each day."
After hearing about Zander's plight, the 12 women, dubbed the Mams of Brora, contacted celebrity photographer Craig Mackay.
Mr Mackay, a native of Brora, said: "From the minute I met Zander, his devoted family, and the women who wanted to help, I was on board.
"Brora is a small community but, despite a few awkward minutes, every one of the mothers left with a huge sense of achievement. Now, all we want to do is raise as much money as possible for Zander and his family and for further research into this terrible condition."
The group of women includes a staff nurse, a crofter, a lifeguard and a stay-at-home mother.
Press Association
