13/06/2026
It’s my birthday in a couple of weeks and if at any point in our shared acquaintance you’d have had a drink to celebrate with me, I’m asking if you’d consider donating the price of a pint or a glass of wine to this very special fundraiser.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mason-mullen
[Link in bio]
I met Mason while taking photos at Rachel House, a children’s hospice in Kinross, Scotland. I absolutely fell in love with this little boy. He’s six years old — a miracle in its own right because doctors said he wouldn’t make it to his fifth birthday. He was born eight weeks premature and spent the first two months of his life on a CPAP machine in the NICU during the height of the pandemic.
Shortly after being given the green light to go home, he took a turn for the worse and was rushed by ambulance to the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh. He stayed there for two years and was diagnosed with two separate conditions.
The first, hydrocephalus, is the build up of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s cavities, creating potentially fatal pressure on the brain tissue. The second, a form of infantile leukodystrophy, is a rare inherited disorder that affects the brain, causing a progressive loss of physical and, later, mental skills.
Tragically, the latter is a terminal condition and Mason is living on borrowed time. To date he has had close to 50 brain surgeries in an attempt to extend his life expectancy. It’s impossible to imagine the suffering this tiny boy has been through. He can’t walk without assistance and his speech can be difficult to understand. And yet, he is a ray of sunshine who loved posing for photos with his sister and Mum. He high fives everyone he meets and he nearly broke my heart when he opened his arms for a bear hug when I said goodbye.
His mum Tracey started a GoFundMe to raise money to buy Mason an electric wheelchair for when his mobility declines to the point where assisted walking is no longer possible. It would mean the world if we could use my birthday as an excuse to boost the fund and make this dream a reality.
