Esme Morris Macintyre's new gravestone@Banchor Cemetery

 

Recently installed gravestone for Esme Morris Macintyre 

@Banchor Cemetery, Newtonmore

See Esme's adventure

 Iconic sunflowers –  artificial as rabbits eat real ones

 Note purple harp – CD 'Esme's Adventure - 

The Girl with the Purple Harp' now available

 Hills showing through the mist in the background 

(above and below)

 View of the lower part of the cemetery

Sun trying to break through the mist 

(above and below)

 Trees on the edge of the cemetery

(above and below)

Esme's Adventure: CD of harp tunes with proceeds to Teenage Cancer Trust

Here's a Christmas present that will both sound good and help teenagers with cancer

Available now through Birnamcdshop for £10.99
'This unique compilation of harp tunes was inspired by a young harp player who died of a brain tumour in 2013 at the age of 18. Some of Scotland’s foremost harp players have come together in tribute to Esme Morris Macintyre of Kinnesswood whose courage and determination to live life to the full touched the hearts of thousands.

 

Esme wrote a searingly honest account of the challenges she faced through her Facebook page, facebook.com/EsmesAdventure, and she worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

 

She made a wish list of people to meet, things to do and for harp tunes to be written for her. The result is this compilation CD demonstrating the great diversity and talent that abounds in Scotland’s harp community today. It is a fitting tribute to a remarkable teenager and is being sold in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.'

Esme Morris Macintyre: 20th May 2011

 

Esme Morris Macintyre's grave@Newtonmore

 Esme Morris Macintyre: 14.2.1995-7.7.2013

Between 20th-24th August Carole (CRM) rode 270 miles to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of her niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, who died on 7th July 2013 aged 18 after a very courageous and inspirational nearly seven-year battle against the disease. You can donate here. More details here. Also Esme's Adventure on Facebook.

To date Carole has raised £2712 (£3348.75 with Gift Aid). 

CRM's bike ride to support Teenage Cancer Trust: Day Four – Newtonmore to Dunkeld

Paths close to the Drumochter Pass 

The Dalwhinnie Distillery

23rd August 2013 #crm4esme

Day Four is a 55-mile stage from Newtonmore to Dunkeld. Although CRM crosses the highest point of her ride at the Drumochter Pass (1508 ft or 460 metres above sea level there is less climbing than on Days One and Three as Newtonmore is already at 895 feet. It's a long gentle ascent up to Drumochter past the isolated village of Dalwhinnie and its distillery.

Once over Drumochter there is a long descent down to Blair Atholl, Pitlochry and on to Dunkeld. Much of the ride will be on a dedicated cycle path.         

Carole (CRM) is riding to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of her niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, who died on 7th July 2013 aged 18 after a very courageous and inspirational nearly seven-year battle against the disease. You can donate here. More details here. 

Follow Carole's progress on twitter with #crm4esme

Update: Total raised by Carole has now reached £1939 (£2375 with Gift Aid).

Many thanks for your support. 

CRM cycling in support of Teenage Cancer Trust: 19th August off to John O'Groats

John O'Groats Hotel with the ferry approaching

19th August 2013 #crm4esme

Today we head up to John O'Groats ready to start CRM's 270 mile charity bike ride to Kinnesswood in Perth and Kinross to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of Esme. We'll catch the train from Newtonmore to Wick changing at Inverness.  The train from Inverness is pretty leisurely taking over four hours. This is partly because the line still goes right the way round the indented coast whereas by road it is now much quicker with bridges over the Moray and Dornoch Firths. Then from Wick we cycle the 18 miles up to John O'Groats where we are staying in the newly opened hotel.

For the moment the weather forecast seems reasonably favourable with a tailwind to help us along.

Bright extension of John O'Groats Hotel 

Carole (CRM) is riding to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of her niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, who died on 7th July 2013 aged 18 after a very courageous and inspirational nearly seven-year battle against the disease. You can donate here. More details here.  

Follow Carole's progress on twitter with #crm4esme

Many thanks for your support.

Esme's adventure – brilliant highlights video by her brother Calum

Esme Morris Macinytyre 14.2.1995-7.7.2013

Calum, Esme's brother, has recently posted on Facebook and YouTube a brilliant video of some of the highlights of Esme's short and courageous life.  She was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was 11 and died on Sunday 7th July 2013.

The video includes Esme meeting Sir Chris Hoy, Andy Murray and Amy Macdonald as well as a hot air balloon trip, skiing, biking and raising money to combat cancer.

See also Esme's Adventure on Facebook. 

Calum Morris Macintyre: Newtonmore hill race: 3.8.13

 

Esme – pre-tumour 

Esme with her cousin Zoe

Esme Morris Macintyre's funeral: a day of celebration

Mairi Macleod

 Fiona Rutherford 

The funeral was held in the Portmoak Parish Church, Scotlandwell on Tuesday 16th July. Although it was a sad occasion it was very much a celebration of Esme's short but inspirational life. Mourners were welcomed into the church with wonderful harp music by Mairi Macleod and Fiona Rutherford. There were tributes to Esme from Louise Batchelor, Eilidh Gibson (Esme's best friend ) and one brilliantly delivered by Calum Morris Macintyre (Esme's brother) as well as more harp music from Fiona during the service and from Mairi right at the end. The service was very well and sensitively conducted by the Rev Dr Angus Morrison.

In keeping with the theme of celebration mourners were asked to wear bright colours and not black or sombre clothes. It has to be said that on the whole the women managed this better than the men.  

See also Esme's adventure on Facebook. 

Calum Morris Macintyre delivering his tribute

 

Esme's new purple harp that arrived just a few days before she died.

Fortunately she had a brief time to play it. 

 

Rev Dr. Angus Morrison 

The following day Esme was buried in the cemetery at Newtonmore.
   

Esme Morris Macintyre: 14.02.1995 – 07.07.2013

Coffin with flower petals

Flowers and messages from the family   
 

 

Time for quiet contemplation after the burial ceremony (above and below)

Although this is an end to Esme's adventure it need not be the final word. Esme's brave fight and tireless work to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust can be an inspiration to carry on her fundraising. Already £3909 has been raised at and following Esme's funeral.

Towards the end of August CRM will be continuing Esme's Adventure by doing a sponsored bike ride from John O'Groats to Esme's home in Fife.   

Remarkable reaction to Esme's death from cancer

 

Esme Morris Macintyre 

(Photo CRM)

Esme's death on Sunday from a brain tumour has sparked a remarkable reaction illustrating what a special person she was. On her Facebook page, Esme's adventure, the family's announcement of her death prompted over 1100 comments and over 6400 likes.

There was a report on the STV news at 6pm yesterday plus a story in the Daily Record and the Perthshire Advertiser.

Esme was CRM's niece and inspired by her example she is planning to ride in late August from John O'Groats to Esme's home in Fife to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. Esme raised thousands for this charity.       

Esme Morris Macintyre – end of a very brave fight

Esme Morris Macintyre
(photos by CRM)

Very sadly Esme lost her fight against her brain tumour earlier this afternoon – she was just 18. The end was quick but thankfully peaceful.  

The tumour was first diagnosed when she was 11 and for six years it seemed that an operation and treatment had been a successful. Unfortunately the tumour returned last autumn and a second operation was able to remove only part of the tumour.

Esme, who had already raised thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust, was determined to fight on. She put together a wish list of people she wanted to meet and things she still wanted to do and logged her progress on a Facebook page – Esme's Adventure. She did not have time to tick off all the items on her wish list but she did have some wonderful memories in her final few weeks. In particular her bravery brought out the kindness and generosity of a number of big stars and personalities.

Olympic multi-champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy came to visit her the day after he announced his retirement – pictured on Esme's Facebook page. Then on the first day of Wimbledon she was at Centre Court to see Andy Murray win his first match of this year's Championship. Judy Murray, Andy's mum, was brilliant. Firstly she arranged for Esme, then in a wheelchair, to have a place right by the court. Then through Judy she got to meet Andy and to spend several hours in the players' lounge. Again see photos on Esme's Facebook page. Andy won Wimbledon shortly after Esme died, so she wasn't able to see his great success.

Esme also spent time with the singer Amy Macdonald and met singer Emile Sandé in Glasgow. Just two weeks ago today she took part in the Race for Life in Kirkcaldy with her great friend Eilidh and a few days later she modelled for the Portmoak Fashion Show in aid of the charity Hospices of Hope.  

Esme has been amazingly brave and resourceful and in death she remains an inspiration. 

Esme on her 18th birthday, 14 February 2013

Three generations - Esme with her Mum and her Granny

Esme's adventure

My niece Esme Morris Macintyre is a young woman you would want to know - lovely personality, gorgeous smile, tremendous generosity, a love of challenges and awe-inspiring determination to achieve her life ambitions. For the last six and a half years she has been on a cancer journey, a journey she describes in the Notes page on her Facebook site, Esme's adventure. With her brother, Calum, she has raised tens of thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust and Cancer Research UK. Just over a week ago she drew up a list of adventures that she is planning to have and has already achieved quite a few of them.

On Friday she met with cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy, having a surprise visit from him and his wife - how fantastic that Chris Hoy, six time Olympic Gold Medalist, found the time to spend over three hours with Esme just the day after he announced his retirement! She has met with and sailed with Ellen McArthur, she has been on a ski biking holiday in the Alps (see her brother's video here) and she has had a harp tune written for her. And there are lots of other plans in the pipeline!

She would love your support by 'liking' her Facebook page, Esme's adventure - she has already clocked up over 3,000 'likes'! Perhaps you could help her reach 5,000?