Big brother steps in for Cambuslang tot stuck in hospital

Kai McIntyre, 8, volunteered to stand in his little brother’s place to complete a sponsored walk after the youngster became unwell.

It comes as three-year-old Caiden McIntyre had planned to join his friends at Newton Farm Nursery to raise funds for the Kilbryde Hospice before suffering a bowel blockage.

He was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow for treatment and his big brother, Kai, put his hand up to walk in Caiden’s place.

Caiden McIntyre suffered a bowel blockage at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow (Image: NHS)

The boys parents, Alana and Marc, were thrilled Caiden would still be represented after raising £235 donations for the cause.

Alana explained: “Marc and I were sitting chatting about the money and decided that we would make the donation early, even though Caiden wouldn’t be able to take part.

“Kai had been listening to our conversation and said that he wanted to do the walk on behalf of Caiden.

“He said that he was his big brother and that he would make him proud.”

Kai wanted to support his little brother (Image: Sourced)

The day before the walk took place was What Matters to You Day, an initiative supported by the Royal Hospital for Children where staff encourage patients and their families to share what matters to them.

NHS heroes provided families on the ward with white t-shirts to show what ‘mattered’ to them. For Kai, it was making his brother proud.

The family drew matching designs on their t-shirts and Kai’s read, “Caiden’s in ward 2C, that’s why it’s up to me.”

Marc said: “We were incredibly proud and surprised. Normally Kai wouldn’t walk the length of himself.

“The only time you see him really active is when he has PE at school. Luckily, Caiden’s nursery is attached onto Kai’s school, and the head teacher said that she was so pleased with the kind offer from Kai. She had no issue with him going ahead with the walk on his brother’s behalf.”

Mandy Meechan, Chief Nurse Hospital Paediatrics at the Royal Hospital for Children explained that this is the perfect example of why initiatives like What Matters To You are important as part of the hospital’s care for families.

“This initiative is about having meaningful conversations with individuals as well as families and their carers.

"Using creative ways to prompt conversations, particularly with kids and their families, encourages discussions and helps us as healthcare professionals to engage with them on decisions around their care.

"In this instance, we were delighted that Caiden was able to display how much he was here for his brother in a fun, loving way that makes sense to a three-year-old,” said Mandy.