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Dedicated Montrose son walks 50 miles for mum who is battling cancer

Derek, front left, who walked 50 miles to raise money for mum Rose, seated. Other family members were there to greet Derek when he finished.

A man from Montrose has walked more than 50 miles in honour of his mum, who is battling cancer.

Derek Clark decided to raise money for mum Rose’s chosen charity, MacMillan nurses, who specialise in cancer care.

Rose was first told she had lung cancer in June last year.

The 75-year-old has now been diagnosed with stage four cancer after the disease started to spread to her lymph nodes and brain.

Derek, 53, said he is an avid walker and wanted to do something special for Rose, after she was told last month that the disease had spread.

Derek, from Montrose, with family and friends outside his mum's house, celebrating the completion of his 50 mile walk.
Derek with family and friends outside his mum’s house, celebrating the completion of his 50 mile walk.

Process technician Derek said: “Right away she said that she’d love it to go to Macmillan nurses because they’ve been really good with her.

“The nurses that have come in to help her over the last year, they’ve been fantastic, so right away when I asked her there was nothing else she thought of.”

Derek started the walk at his own home in Montrose during the early hours of Friday morning and completed two laps of the town, before heading to his parents’ house, walking 53 miles in total.

‘Especially proud’

Derek said that his dad was especially proud of him.

He said: “My dad doesn’t always say he’s proud of me but he certainly has over the last three weeks.

“It’s tough on him as well obviously, because they’ve been married a lot of years, that’s the reason I wanted to do it.”

Almost £3,000 raised so far

Derek had originally set out to raise around £400 when he set up the JustGiving page, but has managed to raise almost £3,000 so far.

He said: “Everybody, all my workmates and that, have chipped in and put money in.

“People from all over Britain [have donated] to be fair, they’ve got friends up here and down in England and just everybody has been absolutely fantastic over the last few weeks.”

Derek said that cancer has had a heavy impact on his family throughout his life, giving him even more reason to complete the walk.

Family members affected by disease

He said: “My sister-in-law died of cancer, my auntie died of cancer and my other auntie has also got cancer, so there’s been a fair bit of it in the family.

“That was just another reason to do it, another thing that spurred me on.”

Derek said the support feels “absolutely amazing”, especially for a good cause.

Family and friends waiting at finish line

He said: “All I have to do is lace up my trainers and walk, with what people are going through with cancer and what I’ve seen my mum go through, for me to do a little bit of hiking is absolutely nothing.”

Family and friends were waiting at the 50-mile finish line outside Derek’s mum’s house, to congratulate him on his tremendous efforts.

To donate to Derek’s cause, visit his page on JustGiving.