A Brechin mum whose son is battling brain cancer has hit out at proposals to close his primary school.
Stracathro primary would shut under plans put forward in the Angus Schools for the Future programme which will be discussed by Angus Council on Tuesday.
Elected members will decide on the recommendation to consult on the development of Edzell Primary as the rural school for the Brechin cluster which will sound the death knell for Lethnot, Tarfside and Stracathro primaries.
Lynn Massie said increased class sizes at a new school could have devastating consequences for her severely-ill child, which means he would be unable to attend school.
Her five-year-old son Carson Gallacher was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May, which surgeons removed in June.
A biopsy then revealed the devastating news that Carson had brain cancer.
Ms Massie said: “Carson is undergoing chemotherapy, and although he is responding well to the treatment, his immune system is severely impaired and his course of chemotherapy is scheduled to last until the summer.
“Infections that a healthy child might shrug-off, can prove fatal for Carson. For example, he contracted shingles, which would ordinarily be treated at home, but for Carson it meant being admitted to an infection control room in Ninewells.
“At the moment, the small class size at Stracathro means that infection control is much easier, and potential illnesses easier to spot, this is vital as even chicken pox could be fatal.
Ms Massie heaped praise on the staff at Stracathro. She said “Without the care and support of the school, I do not believe the diagnosis would have happened so quickly.
“Carson was suffering from severe headaches and other symptoms, which were of very short duration, so by the time we got to the GP, he was often feeling fine again, and this made getting to the source of the problem more difficult.
“It was only when the school offered to confirm the severity and impact of his symptoms to the GP, that he was referred to a specialist.
“On top of that, the school have ensured that Carson’s two sisters have not fallen behind with their own studies, which has been a massive help.
“If Stracathro closes, then I have no doubt that class sizes will increase, and the chances of Carson contracting an illness that could be extremely severe are very high, and I simply could not take the chance of sending him into that environment.
“On top of that, the level of care and supervision which resulted in Carson’s early diagnosis could well be lost.”
Lethnot PS has already been mothballed and Tarfside PS has no pupils on its roll but Stracathro is running at 72% capacity but per pupil costs are £10,095.
