'Our fun-loving, kind and caring mum touched so many people's lives - we miss her every day'

A family has spoken out about their mum's heartbreaking death.

Theresa Hawksworth was just 50 years old when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012 - just two years later that she died from the disease at only 52. She passed away at St Ann's Hospice in Heald Green, where she had been cared for by doctors, nurses and volunteers.

She had received outpatient care at St Ann's for the last six months of her life, before becoming an inpatient when she was receiving end-of-life care. Now, ten years on from the loss of their mum, her children are raising money by taking on a five-month daunting task. You can donate to Lindsay and her brother here

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Theresa's daughter, Lindsay Hawksworth, has told how she felt compelled to take on a momentous challenge to give back to the 'incredible' hospice that cared for her so greatly and is now in need of funds to continue their work.

Lindsay, alongside her youngest brother, will be running, walking or hiking every day for five months until they reach the summit of Ben Nevis on 15th September 2024. They began the feat last month on the 6th April which is the anniversary of their 'lovely mum's' passing, and will all together cover 1000 miles to reach their finish line at the summit.

The siblings will be met at the end of their trek by some family members to join them in their last climb to the summit of Ben Nevis, which sits 1,345 metres above sea level.

Lindsay said: "To commemorate the tenth anniversary of our lovely mum's passing, we have decided to walk, run and hike 1,000 miles to raise money for the amazing charity St Ann's Hospice.

“Our challenge started on her anniversary on 6th April 2024 and will finish in Scotland (where Mum was from), where we will summit Ben Nevis on 15th September 2024. This will involve completing the equivalent of 10km a day on foot, every day for over five months."

The Hawksworth's have taken on other charity challenges to raise funds for St Ann's, as it is a non for profit charity and relies on donations to help them continuing to care for patients across the region. This year they wanted to go beyond their previous Race for Life and Tough Mudder events and do something 'poignant', with the inspiration behind this challenge coming from something that meant a lot to their mum.

Lindsay, when speaking on the 1000 mile hike, said: "“This challenge was inspired by the lyrics in one of her favourite songs by The Proclaimers: "But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more.”

The brother and sister are aiming to raise £3,000 for St Ann's, and the donations and funds raised could not come at a more important time for the charity. The hospice is currently in the midst of raising £2 million pounds, as part of their Build It Together campaign, in order to build a new state-of-the-art hospice at their Heald Green site and have expressed how urgent it is to get have the new site built. Without new facilities the charity has said there is a real risk that they may need to close.

Many people have rallied to help make the new site a reality, including former Manchester United player, Gary Neville and his wife Emma, who will be hosting the Great Mancunian Ball this November to help raise the funds needed for the new site. The new building would include a 27-bed inpatient unit, access to private outdoor terraces and bereavement support centres.

Lindsay and her family are urging people to donate and help St Ann's continue their work for people with life-limiting illnesses.

“Our fun-loving, kind and caring mum touched so many people's lives and we miss her every day. This challenge will help us give back to the incredible charity St Ann's Hospice that helped her so much throughout her battle with cancer," said Lindsay, “They provide care to people and their families living with a life-limiting illness in the Greater Manchester community. Any donations you can make will mean the world to us.”

You can donate Lindsay and her brother here

To find out more about St Ann's Build It Together campaign for the new click here