FAMILY and friends of a New Forest woman who died after battling cancer are keeping her memory alive through setting up a charity to help others.
Lucy Pearson, 21, who lived near Ringwood, passed away on March 28 from an an aggressive form of cancer, Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), which is believed to have been caused by the anti-rejection drugs she took after a heart transplant when she was six.
In February, while Lucy was undergoing chemotherapy, a Justgiving page was set up to raise funds for a specialised wheelchair as the cancer had left her suddenly paraplegic.
However, as her conditioned worsened, Lucy asked that the Love from Lucy charity be set up and the money already raised should go to help other young people in the same situation.
Love from Lucy aims to support patients in UK hospitals, up to the age of 21 years old, who have previously had a heart, liver, lung, kidney, pancreas or multi-solid organ transplant and go on to develop PTLD by providing and assisting in the provision of equipment and facilities not normally provided by the statutory authorities.
An application has been sent to the Charity Commission to have it officially registered as a charity.
Love from Lucy trustees and volunteers Picture by Graham Wiffen
Love from Lucy Trustee Sarah Dudley, who has been setting up the charity, said: “Lucy was just an amazing young lady. She was so inspirational and looked after everyone around her even on her bad days.”
When Lucy was in the hospice she discussed her wishes for the charity.
Sarah says it has been a “long process” trying to set the charity up but they are “getting there” and hopes to be able to start helping people soon as they are "raring to go".
Yesterday, Monday August 30, a team of Lucy’s friends and family took part in the Dorset Plane Pull at Bournemouth Airport - pulling a Boeing 737, which weighs around 35,000kg a distance of 50 metres.
It was Love from Lucy’s first fundraising event which has so far raised more than £1,000. A total of £25,000 has already been raised.
“We’ve got a great group of people, Lucy’s friends and family, who just want to keep Lucy’s name and memory alive and miss her dearly and wanted to do something good,” added Sarah.
“We are all very aware this is what Lucy wanted. It is not just a charity we’ve made up it is actually what Lucy wanted us to do. It’s quite important to all of us.”
The team of 26 pulled the plane, including Sarah and Lucy's mum Bev, and managed to do it in 45 seconds. They were also joined by paralympian Rachel Morris.
Love from Lucy Trustees, Lucy's mum Bev and Rachel Morris Picture by Graham Wiffen
"The day for us was about making people aware of us and getting Lucy's friends and family together again. Obviously a lot of us haven't been together since her funeral.
"It was nice to be together and do something in her name and knowing we were raising money," said Sarah. "It was a fantastic day."
The plane pull Picture by Graham Wiffen
They hope to get together again to take part in the plane pull next year.
Picture by Graham Wiffen
A rose has also been named after Lucy and is being sold by World of Roses. For each flower that is sold Love from Lucy gets a donation.
Visit: lovefromlucy.org.uk
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