Beatson cancer scientist lost her cousin to illness but is determined to fight back

Dr Laura Galbraith, from Glasgow’s Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, is teaming up with her partner Richard Mullen, 43, to launch Cancer Research UK’s Walk All Over Cancer challenge in Scotland.

Her drive comes from the loss of her cousin, Steven Bland, who died in July 2016 after a three-year battle with cancer.

Diagnosed with Non Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013, Steven was a former IT and communications expert in the British Army, and dad to son Alex, now aged five.

Now Laura and Richard are supporting Walk All Over Cancer together, after they walked a Three Peaks Challenge in Scotland’s Arrochar Alps in Steven’s memory.

Laura, who lives in Cove, near Helensburgh, said: “Steven was a very active individual who took on many challenges, not least during his time in the British Army on tour in Afghanistan.

“He also enjoyed taking on the challenges on offer in the Scottish Highlands.

“Richard came up with the idea for the family to get together and walk a Three Peaks Challenge in Steven’s memory.

“We chose the Arrochar Alps because Steven had climbed them all himself when he was visiting me and my family in Kilcreggan.”

The couple were part of a team of Steven’s family who conquered the Cobbler, Ben Ime and Ben Narnain in one day last summer, raising more than £5200 for Cancer Research UK and the Lymphoma Association.

While Laura and Richard trained together in beautiful Scottish sunshine, the weather conditions on the day of their challenge were not so kind.

The 32-year-old added: “The weather was the worst it could be.

“When we got to the top of our last peak, Ben Narnain, we couldn’t see a thing and I had to hang on the trig point in the wind to get our photo taken.

“Walking together up the peaks felt like a great achievement for Steven and all the family.

“It felt really emotional at the end of the walk when we all gathered together and saw how much money we had raised in his memory to help fund research to help other families affected by cancer.”

Laura still remembers the deep shock she felt when she was told of her cousin's diagnosis and, worse, the suddenness of his death.

Steven died just one day after being moved to a hospice.

Laura said: “When we heard about Steven’s diagnosis I was shocked because he was so young and always such a vibrant healthy person.

“However because of that I was optimistic that he would get treatment and everything would be fine. So, after the initial shock, I was very positive and when he went into remission I thought that would be it and I was happy it was over for him.

“Then we got the news that the cancer had come back, which devastated all of us I think - that he was going to have to go through more treatments and more fighting.

"Although even then I thought he would make it through.

“After some time the doctors said there were no more treatment options left.

"Even still, when we got the call that he had passed away I still felt it was very sudden.

"He was admitted to hospital on June 27 and then moved to a hospice where he died on June 28, it was so quick.

"I hadn’t seen Steven in a while, with him living in England and me in Scotland, and when last I’d seen him he was relatively healthy.

"It seemed like very quickly that had changed, and now he was gone.”

As a cancer scientist, Laura said she knows how vital funding is for research to beat the disease.

She is trying to identify new drug targets to treat prostate cancer that becomes resistant to current therapies, and to help stop the disease from spreading.

The Walk All Over Cancer fundraising challenge encourages men and women to get sponsored to walk 10,000 steps every day in March to raise money for the charity’s life-saving research.

Alongside raising funds for vital research, the charity said taking part in Walk All Over Cancer comes with health benefits.

Being more active can help people maintain a healthy weight, which can reduce the risk of 13 different types of cancer.

Victoria Steven, Cancer Research UK’s spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “We’d love Scots to lace up their trainers and step up to the challenge.

“Taking part with friends or family, like Laura and Richard, is a great way to motivate yourself to get moving.

“Walking 10,000 steps per day can seem like quite a challenge for many people.

“Some of us spend our lives transferring from seat to seat - whether that’s driving to work, sitting at a desk or enjoying a boxset on the sofa.

“But adopting small lifestyle changes - like taking the stairs or going for a stroll at lunchtime - can quickly up the step count.

“Adding your favourite music or walking to a beauty spot can be another good incentive to get moving.”

Cancer Research UK said it is easy to keep track of steps taken each day with many smartphone health apps, pedometers or wearable activity trackers.

Victoria added: “Every day, 87 people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.

“Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

“Taking part in Walk All Over Cancer is a great way for people to support a great cause.

“Every stride taken, and every donation made, will help fund Cancer Research UK’s ground-breaking research to find ways to save more lives.”

To sign up now, visit www.cruk.org/walkallover