Brother and sister pound the pavements of Paris to remember their ‘superstar’ mum

Preston siblings Nicola and Fraser Farrington have pounded the streets of Paris in tribute of their ‘superstar’ mum – and to support the hospice which cared for her.

Bernadette Farrington, from Buckshaw Village, was cared for at St Catherine’s Hospice after being diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer which spread to other parts of her body.

Daughter Nicola, who grew up in Fulwood and now lives in London, explained: “It was the second time she had skin cancer. We heard it was back after years in remission at the start of 2015, and confirmed that it had spread in May, at which point she was admitted to hospital, and then the hospice.

“Just a month later she was gone – it was all terrifyingly fast.”

Nicola and brother Fraser, who lives in Manchester, were joined by friend Ollie Palmer, who lives in the French capital, to make up the ‘dream team’ when they ran the Paris Half Marathon earlier this month, and raised more than £1,800 for the Lostock Hall hospice.

Nicola said: “Our mum was a superstar. She was a nurse herself, and cared for others throughout her life. She also led health walks in Cuerden Valley Park, where we now have a tree for her.

“Her cancer was aggressive, and just a few weeks after diagnosis, she was admitted to St Catherine’s, where the staff were able to finally allow her to put herself first, let her relax, knowing she was being well cared for, and allow us all to spend some time together in relative comfort.

“The dedication and care shown by the staff blew us all away, and we wanted to run for the hospice to show our gratitude and highlight just how much they do for the community they serve.”

Nicola described the charity as “an amazing organisation which brought our mum comfort and dignity at the end of her life”.

She added: “Running 13 miles around Ollie’s current hometown of Paris was our little show of strength, and a way to say ‘thank you’ to the team at St Catherine’s and help them to continue their amazing work.

“The atmosphere was fantastic, and we were cheered on by friends and strangers alike.

“I know that every penny will be put to good use, and hopefully it can be the first of many things we can do to raise money for the hospice.”

Lorraine Charlesworth, director of income generation at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “We’re very touched by Nicola’s kind words about the charity and our wonderful staff, and we’re pleased we were able to be there for her mum and the family when it really mattered the most.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the ‘dream team’ for running the Paris Half Marathon to support the work of the hospice. The fantastic total they have raised will help St Catherine’s continue to provide our specialist palliative and end-of-life care for local people at the hospice and out in the community.”

Share with your friends!