Champion fundraiser Francesca Mancini, who beat cancer twice and raised thousands of pounds for the Beatson, has died just a few weeks before her 21st birthday.

The Bishopbriggs student, dubbed ‘princess of the Beatson’ by the doctors and nursing staff who knew and loved her, was determined to fight the disease when it returned for a third time.

But when doctors told her it had spread to her lungs and liver and further chemotherapy was not an option, the 20-year-old told her mum: “I’m not afraid of dying.”

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May Mancini, 49, said her daughter’s first concern had been for her family.

“She wanted us to buy her sister a puppy and take her to Disneyland to see the Little Mermaid,” she smiled.

“Francesca always thought of other people first. She was so humble, and so thoughtful. That’s why everyone loved her.”

In a moving letter to her parents, May and Osvaldo, written just days before her death last Saturday, Francesca thanked them for being “the best” and said: “I’m not scared of dying but I am scared of leaving you. But I’ll always be around you. I’ll always be in your hearts.”

May added: “She told us she didn’t want to be buried, she wanted to be cremated and for all of her friends to wear bright colours – no black – at her funeral.

“Since she died, so many people have been in touch to say she had such an effect on them – we are amazed by how loved she was and we will forever be proud and grateful for that.”

The Evening Times first told Francesca’s story last year. Initially, doctors believed she had rheumatoid arthritis but scans revealed a tumour the size of a grapefruit in her chest.

The biomedical science student was diagnosed with stage four Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, which had started to spread to her lung, pancreas, abdominal lymph nodes and the sac around her heart.

After surgery and chemotherapy, she made a full recovery and was declared to be in remission.

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But at Christmas time, the cancer returned and this time the tumour was in her pancreas, pressing on her liver. After radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, Francesca spent three weeks in isolation at the Beatson.

Fifty days after the transplant, she got the news she was once again clear of cancer.

Her passion for helping others and her dedication to the nurses and doctors who got her through her illness inspired her to raise £14,000 for the Beatson. She was also determined to raise awareness of the fact young people get cancer too.

She said at the time: “Teenagers get cancer too - teenagers who should be studying and growing up and travelling and getting on with their lives.

“There are lots of us, and I hope by sharing my story I can encourage them and get help for them.”

Francesca had inspired 134 friends and family members to take part in the Off the Beatson Track 10k at the end of August. But just a few weeks before the event, a routine check-up revealed she had a high temperature.

She was diagnosed with shingles and a chest infection, but a scan revealed the devastating news that the cancer had returned to her lung and liver.

Despite her pain, Francesca was determined to complete the Off the Beatson Track event and on August 27, she finished it, to the cheers of her friends and family.

“She walked over the finish line with her hands in the air,” smiled May. “She was amazing.”

“I’ll never forget Francesca’s face when they told us her cancer had returned. All she said was - ‘but my mum and I are going to New York for my 21st birthday in November – can’t you hold it back until then?’

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“When the doctors told her there was nothing more they could do, she just said – ‘okay then, I’m not scared.’ Francesca took everything head-on, she challenged it and faced up to it and that’s why she was so inspiring.”

Francesca’s funeral will take place on Saturday, September 10 at 12 noon at Lambhill Crematorium.