Moray dad to run half marathon for support charity
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A MORAY dad is in final training to run a half marathon to raise money for a cause very close to his heart.
Derrick Taylor (35) will complete the 13.1 mile Half BraemarAthon on September 8 for the charity Positive and Active Behaviour Support Scotland (PABSS).
Mr Taylor, who lives in Elgin and is a Corporal at RAF Lossiemouth, learned of the charity's work after reading an article about a child with autism who was taken away from an Inverness primary in a police van.
He said: "Both my sons, who are 7 and 10, are autistic and if that happened to them I know they would have a complete meltdown and would be really scared.
"I know how difficult things can get, but they are many other families out there who have little to no idea of what help is available to them.
"So I hope to raise awareness of this worthy cause."
Mr Taylor said he and his wife Catrina regularly come up against public misunderstanding.
"My youngest son gets quite anxious with sounds and it can cause him to have a meltdown, when he will start screaming," he said.
"There was an incident in a shop recently when my son heard a little girl crying and he started screaming.
"A woman noticed it and told my wife, 'Children like that shouldn't be allowed to leave the house'. My wife and I experience it at least three or four times a week."
That is why Mr Taylor is raising money for PABSS, which works to improve the lives of children and adults with additional support needs and their families, carers and all those who work with them.
