A heartbroken mother has channelled her grief into backing efforts to find a cure for the disease that killed her son.
Carol Phillips was left devastated by the death of her son Simon, a motor mechanic, in 2008 at the age of 35, but she was determined that something positive should come out of that tragedy.
Carol, 69, of Heronhill Crescent, Hawick, decided to write a book of poetry to raise money for Cancer Research UK in his memory, and it has now yielded a boost of almost £1,100 for the charity.
She had 400 copies of her book, called Poems, produced up by Hawick printer Richardson and Son, with a cover price of £3.99, and they were sold by various shops in the town’s High Street, Bridge Street, Silver Street and Drumlanrig Square, as well as a few others further afield, over the last two years.
The proceeds of that print run, £1,097, just over her target of £1,000, have now been handed over to Cancer Research UK’s shop in Galashiels.
Carol, originally from Northamptonshire, said: “Simon was diagnosed in 2000 and died in 2008.
“He had a slow-growing cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and, being so young, we thought he would have a good chance of recovery.
“He did receive the all-clear once, in 2005, but it came back some months later, and this time it was diagnosed as terminal.
“The reason I wanted to raise money for cancer research is because there must be a way to beat this disease, like all the other terrible diseases that brilliant scientists have found cures for.
“Simon’s death was slow and painful, but he kept cheerful – to the outside world, anyway – and he certainly didn’t wany anyone to cry.
“Most of the time you would have thought nothing was wrong, then a pain would come across his face, but I did hope and pray.
“I have to thank everyone for their generosity. Simon would be chuffed to bits.”