A woman from Falmouth is putting herself through her paces by taking part in the TCS London Marathon next week to raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer.

Rosalind Schofield, 37 will be taking part in the marathon on Sunday, April 23 to raise money for Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people.

Rosalind decided to sign up for the marathon after discovering that an old friend’s daughter is battling cancer.

She said: “An old school friend of mine has a daughter who was recently diagnosed with two cancerous tumours. She is five.

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“It is just awful to think of any family having to deal with this trauma – the diagnosis and the treatment that takes its toll on all of them.

“Her daughter is far too young to have to endure this and the family have said that their world has fallen apart.

“She has mentioned this charity so I have decided to raise as much money as possible by running the marathon to show my support for them.

"Little Arabella has had to undergo multiple biopsies, scans, and emergency chemo and has months' worth of treatment ahead of her.

"She has started to lose her hair but is still smiling and being silly every day despite being so unwell."

Donations have now reached £2,749 with the original target set at £2,000. 

You can donate to Rosalind’s JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Roz-Schofield

Young Lives vs Cancer is a charity that helps children and young people from birth until the age of 25 and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.

The charity’s social workers offer specialist, empowering support, its Homes from Home offer families a free place to stay near the child’s hospital and grants help families to navigate the costs of cancer.

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Last year in Cornwall, Young Lives vs Cancer helped 71 families find the strength to face everything cancer throws at them. The charity gave out 69 financial grants to the value of £15,450 helping families cope with cancer’s costs.

Rebecca Clements, sports portfolio manager at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “We can’t thank Rosalind enough for her amazing efforts, taking on the challenge of a lifetime for Young Lives vs Cancer.

“For every blister and hard training session throughout the dark and cold winter months, Rosalind has endured, we are in awe of her dedication and determination to help raise funds and awareness for children, young people and their families living with cancer.”

For more information about Young Lives vs Cancer’s work, visit www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk