FORMER schoolmates of a woman known as the “princess of the Beatson” will take part in a fundraising walk in her memory this summer.
Pupils at Bishopbriggs Academy, where Francesca Mancini was a pupil, have signed up for the cancer charity’s Off the Beatson Track 10k on August 27.
Francesca died in 2016, following treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
The Glasgow Times first told her story in 2015, after she was given the devastating news she had 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 sack around her heart.
She beat the disease twice, after surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant, but sadly died just a few weeks before her 21st birthday.
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Bishopbriggs Academy in East Dunbartonshire has supported Off the Beatson Track since Francesca did the event in 2016.
Claire Kerr, depute head, said: “We started doing it alongside Francesca, who unfortunately, very sadly passed away. We wanted to keep her memory alive, so we’ve continued to do the walk ever since.
“We started out with a group of 10 and we now have over 100 pupils doing it annually.”
She added: “The atmosphere on the day is incredible and I think the fact we’re all doing it together for such a fantastic charity is the real buzz around it all.
“We’re always really keen to allow our pupils to see the importance in giving back to the community and to give back to others around them - it’s something we’re very proud of.
“We have lots of pupils and staff who have links to The Beatson or may have family members who have received treatment, and we think it’s just a wonderful place.”
This year’s walk, which starts and finishes at the Riverside Museum, will be hosted by STV’s Laura Boyd and Heart FM and the BBC’s David Farrell. It marks the 10th anniversary of the event, which has seen more than 14,000 participants walk around 86,800 miles,
Maisie McCormick, community fundraising manager at Beatson Cancer Charity, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who has taken part over the years – some families have been with us since the beginning, so we hope everyone will get behind the celebrations this year and join us.”
To sign up, visit the Beatson’s website.
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