Cycling challenge in gran’s memory (From Cotswold Journal)

Cycling challenge in gran’s memory

5:00pm Saturday 20th October 2012 in News

THREE teenage cousins are planning to cycle across the country in memory of a Cotswold pensioner.

The youngsters are hoping to raise more than £1,000 for St Richard’s Hospice who supported their grandmother Diana Jones, who lived in Broadway.

Edward and Harry Cullinane, aged 15 and 13 respectively, of Moreton, and William Chilton- Murphy, 13, of Witney, will cycle from Bristol to Westminster between October 25 and 28 to raise money for the charity that looked after their grandmother before she died last October.

Mrs Jones’ daughter, Rebecca Cullinane, said: “In 2008, at the age of 66, our wonderful mother and grandma was diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

“She had an operation and doctors were confident that she wouldn’t have any further problems.

A year later it was discovered that the cancer had returned and pathologists decided it was a very rare form of endometrial cancer and was very aggressive.”

In September 2011 Mrs Jones went into St Richard’s Hospice in order to get her symptoms under control.

“She was overwhelmed by the amazing atmosphere, the beautiful bedrooms, and the lovely nurses who were there to support and encourage her through her time at the hospice,” said her daughter.

“For our family, the distress of watching, helplessly as our adored mother and grandma's life faded off on to the next stage of her journey was overwhelming.

However, the staff at St Richard’s made it possible for us to cope.

“Raising money for St Richard’s will help other families and is the best way we could think of to pay tribute to a women who never stopped wanting to make life better for other people.”

For further information, visit strichards.org.uk.