13 Jun 2022
John Gibson, whose 24-year-old son Cameron took his own life in October 2019, will walk from Land’s End to John o’ Groats to raise awareness and £250,000 for a charity set up in the young vet’s memory.
James Westgate
Job Title
John Gibson.
The father of a Scottish vet who died by suicide is set to embark on a 1,200-mile walk from Land’s End to John o’ Groats to raise money and awareness of the issue.
John Gibson was devastated by the tragic loss of his 24-year-old son Cameron, a farm vet at Clyde Veterinary Group in Lanarkshire, in October 2019.
Prof Gibson is tackling the mammoth journey to raise £250,000 for The Canmore Trust, a charity set up with his wife Isobel, son Malcolm and daughter Eilidh in Cameron’s memory, with the aim of preventing more suicides and supporting those affected when someone dies by suicide. The Canmore Trust is an anagram of Cameron – and implies “can do more.”
The walk, called #onemanwalkingamilliontalking, will take Prof Gibson around two-and-a-half months – averaging 20-plus miles a day – and his wife will join him for most of the stages.
Prof Gibson is expected to complete the journey in August and plans to visit Callander, near Stirling, where the family live, so he can say a special thank you to local people for their love and support.
Emeritus professor of oral medicine at the University of Aberdeen School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, he said the walk has extra poignancy, because it was by getting out walking in the fresh air that he was able to deal with his own grief.
Prof Gibson clocked up 2,500 miles preparing for the walk and admitted to a rollercoaster of emotions as he prepared to set off today (13 June).
He said: “I’m excited about the challenge, but I wasn’t prepared for how emotional it would feel because the one person who would have loved to accompany me on this adventure is Cameron, who loved walking and the great outdoors.
“We are doing this for ‘Cammy’. We miss him dreadfully and don’t want any other family to go through this. When Cameron died, I had to walk to cope with my grief. I would walk for many hours because I struggled to stay indoors, and I also met mothers and fathers affected by suicide.
“While we need donations for what The Canmore Trust wants to achieve, the walk isn’t just about the funds. The hashtag #onemanwalkingamilliontalking means we want to open up conversations about suicide and bring it into the light.
“According to national statistics, many young people have suicidal thoughts. We want to prepare young people with suicide safety planning in case those thoughts arise, and help to keep them safe.”
Cameron had no history of psychological distress and he left no note to explain his decision, so his death is a mystery to his family, his friends and his colleagues.
However, according to the charity Vetlife, the suicide rate among veterinary surgeons is three to four times the UK national average.
VetPartners, the larger UK veterinary group of which Clyde Vets is a part, has donated £10,000 to the fund-raising and a JustGiving page has been set up at www.justgiving.com/LEJoG-John-Gibson
Cameron, who graduated from Glasgow Vet School in 2018, was a popular member of the Clyde Vets team and loved travelling, his livestock, his dog, skiing, climbing the Munros in Scotland, surfing and cycling. He was also very close to his family.
His parents have a 14-acre small holding, where Cameron proudly helped to look after their chickens, sheep and pigs.
Prof Gibson added: “Cameron never wanted to be anything apart from a vet. We arranged work experience so he could see if he might be interested in human medicine, but he said he didn’t like being inside all the time. He wanted to be outside and working as a farm vet.
“We love the veterinary profession and endorse everything they do. We’re delighted with the donation from VetPartners. The walk has generated huge support as we have been contacted by vets from all over the world, as well as people who have been affected by suicide.”
The trust set up in Cameron’s memory will undertake work in the field of suicide prevention and suicide postvention. Its aims are to:
Vetlife Helpline is available 24 hours a day every day for confidential support on 0303 040 2551 or email via its website.
