A DETERMINED daughter has raised thousands in memory of her mum who sadly died just four weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer.
We previously reported Amanda Malcolmson was left devastated after her beloved mum Susan passed away in November shortly after her cancer diagnosis in October.
On Sunday, the 53-year-old from Old Kilpatrick fulfilled her dream of raising thousands of pounds for the Beatson Wellbeing Centre in time for what would have been her mum’s 75th birthday.
Our reporter caught up with Amanda on Monday as she handed over a cheque for £4,329 to staff at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow.
Amanda said: “Everybody has been so generous. It was my mum’s birthday on Friday – she would have been 75 – and that was why I started fundraising in the first place as I wanted to do something special for her birthday in her memory.
“A lot of my colleagues at work have helped me and I want to thank them all as well as my husband Brian and my family who have supported me through this journey.
“It means so much to me that I’ve been able to do this and I feel proud. I know my mum would have been proud as well as she always gave to charity.
“My mum was only told in October that she had cancer and she passed away in November.
"She had been to hospital countless times and was eventually diagnosed and it was just everywhere.
“Whilst my mum was being treated at the Beatson she got a massage as part of the therapies offered in the Wellbeing Centre.
“She really enjoyed it, they put soft music on for her and she actually fell asleep as she was that relaxed.
“I knew if I ever raised money this was where it would be going. My mum couldn't have gotten any better care.
"I couldn't talk any more highly of the staff at the Beatson, they got us through a really rough time."
The Wellbeing Centre is entirely funded by the Beatson Cancer Charity and is located within the West of Scotland Cancer Centre at Gartnavel Hospital.
For a price of £25, patients can have their hair and nails done as well as being treated to a massage.
Amanda explained that after seeing the impact that this service had on her mum she wanted to ensure as many patients as possible were also able to enjoy it.
Maisie McCormick, community fundraising manager at the Beatson Cancer Charity, added: “A donation like this is phenomenal. Amanda and her mum had first-hand experience of the wellbeing centre and it’s nice for Amanda to be able to hand this over and know it is going directly to helping patients in the same way that it helped her mum.
“There are posts within the Beatson that are funded by money that is raised out in the community.
“The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre is a purpose-built cancer hospital so they deal with the medical side of it and we [Beatson Cancer Charity] try and look after the rest of the person.
“The wellbeing centre is hugely important because it means patients can spend a bit of time away from the hospital bed.
“They’re maybe coming in for radiotherapy five days a week for six weeks and they’re maybe isolated or live far away and can’t have family members come and visit them so it’s a haven away from the hospital bed, it’s a chance for them to feel human again.
“All the stuff that goes on in the wellbeing centre is hugely beneficial to the patient and to their family members.”
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