Edinburgh teenager Leon Rendle is determined to fight and Stand up to Cancer for teenagers battling the disease across the country
A courageous teenager fighting cancer for the second time led Scotland’s first March on Cancer.
Leon Rendle who is battling Ewing’s sarcoma – a rare bone cancer that affects fewer than 30 children in the UK every year – was VIP guest at the sponsored night time walk in Edinburgh for Cancer Research UK which attracted more than 1,100 marchers on Saturday.
The Leith Academy pupil was chosen to stand on a podium holding a giant placard as an army of participants determined to help beat cancer soon marched past.
Leon, 15, was joined on the podium by his proud mum Nicola, 42, and cancer scientist Sarah Thomas, 28, who is based at the Edinburgh Cancer Research UK centre next to the Western General Hospital and is doing research to develop new blood tests to diagnose cancer earlier.
I’m determined to fight and proud to Stand up to Cancer on behalf of all teenagers who are going through this disease - Leon Rendle, 15
Leon said: “I’m proud to be a part of Scotland’s first March on Cancer.
“It’s not been an easy year. I’m back on chemotherapy but it’s keeping me stable. I’m determined to fight and proud to Stand up to Cancer on behalf of all teenagers who are going through this disease. I hope everyone who saw us marching will be inspired to help create more tomorrows for people like me and my family by getting involved in the Stand Up To Cancer campaign and raising money for life-saving research.”
The 45 minute March on Cancer which started at Holyrood Park was led by a flag bearer, Matthew Purvis, 17, of Dundee. He marched in memory of his sister Natalie who was just 21 when she died from cancer last year.
Marchers who walked to the beat of a drum below Arthur’s Seat were serenaded by the Edinburgh Rock Choir with hits including Bruno Mars’ hit, Just the Way you are. Marchers stopped traffic on the Royal Mile then outside St Giles Cathedral marchers stamped on cancer as they walked over giant stickers including the names of just some of the 200 types of cancers which people are forced to fight.
The route also included the Scottish Parliament where marchers were entertained by a samba band. Edinburgh was chosen as one of only 15 cities to host the March which took place simultaneously around the UK on Saturday.
Leon was diagnosed with soft tissue cancer in February 2013 but became cancer free last autumn after enduring chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant at the Royal Sick Children’s hospital in Edinburgh.
Last summer he was cheered by hundreds as he proudly carried the Queen’s baton for the Commonwealth Games passed Meadowbank in Scotland’s capital city. But days later tests revealed the cancer had returned.
Leon who was also joined at the march by his dad James, 42, and sister Chloe, 10, and remains a fighter.
A joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, Stand Up To Cancer raises money to fund vital research to get better treatments to cancer patients faster. Thanks to everyone who makes a stand by supporting the campaign, more people like Leon will be able to go on enjoying life and creating precious moments with their loved ones.
We have the technology and the knowledge to conquer cancer. We just need the funds to turn it into real-life treatments - Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK
Stand up to Cancer will culminate in a live TV fundraiser on Channel 4 at 7.30pm on Friday 17 October, hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen. The trio will front a star-studded night of television, jam packed with programming from entertainment and science to documentaries. It will feature some of Channel 4’s and the UK’s best loved talent as well as respected cancer researchers.
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK’s spokeswoman for Scotland said: “More people are surviving cancer than ever before and there’s been incredible progress in the last 40 years.
“We have the technology and the knowledge to conquer cancer. We just need the funds to turn it into real-life treatments. Stand Up To Cancer raises money for translational research – which is often described as ‘bench to bedside’ because it takes treatments from the lab bench and develops them to help patients being treated in hospital. To help more people like Leon survive, we need everyone to Stand Up To Cancer now.”
In the 1970s, only one in four people would survive cancer. Today two in four survive cancer but in the next 20 years, Cancer Research UK aims to accelerate progress to see three in four people surviving the disease.
Stand Up To Cancer took place for the first time in the UK in 2012 and raised over £8 million for ground-breaking research. This year, there are many ways to get involved and help save lives. Supporters can also register for a free Stand up to Cancer fundraising kit bursting with great ideas on how to raise money.
