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Balaich Eileen

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Factual: Life Stories

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

22/09/2009

BBC ALBA - Balaich Eileen

Actress Eileen McCallum's journey for her grandchildren, who have muscular dystrophy.

Eileen McCallum, one of Scotland's best-known actresses, is on a journey of hope for her grandchildren who have the progressive condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Unlike most of her contemporaries, at the age of 72 Eileen McCallum can't slow down. She continues to work as an actress full-time, while campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness of the progressive condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Both of Eileen's grandsons Milo and Daniel Kirk have the condition. Milo is 11-yearsold and is a wheelchair user, and 7-year-old Daniel is 7, although still able to walk, will soon need a walking frame. DMD is a muscle wasting disease that only affects boys. Currently there is no cure.

We follow Eileen as she juggles her busy filming schedule in the BBC drama series River City with that of helping her daughter Sarah, a single parent, to look after the boys. We get a rare glimpse into her life as she lobbies the Scottish Parliament, accompanies her youngest grandson to Newcastle as he undergoes medical trials, and travels to Denmark to see the care they provide for boys with DMD there.

Every year Eileen also calls on her contemporaries in show business to help out with the annual charity event Tartan Turns to raise money for research into DMD.

What she does she does out of love, not just for her own grandsons but for every boy who is affected by this sad condition.

Share Eileen's worries, her sadness and her joy in caring for her beloved young grandsons in this special story.

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