The daughters of a local Bangor woman who died shortly after finding out she had incurable kidney cancer, led the Race for Life at Stormont on Sunday.
Genevieve Graham, six, and her sister Harriet, 13, were chosen to ring the starting bell for this year’s Cancer Research UK Belfast run.
The girls were just two and nine when doctors broke the devastating news that their mum, Lisa, had an incurable form of kidney cancer. She died aged 39 in 2016.
They were joined by their dad, after the event, which attracted almost 3,000 people, was opened to men for the first time.
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring series of events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research.
Thousands of runners of all abilities descended on Stormont Estate this morning to take part in the 5k and 10k events.
Many of those taking part have been affected by cancer including Gary Crossan, 37, a bowel cancer survivor from Banbridge who was taking part with his wife Julie, 36, and daughters Rowan, four, and two-year-old Reesa.
He was marking one year since finishing treatment this month after being diagnosed in October 2017 and undergoing surgery and chemotherapy.
Every day, 25 people are diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland. One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before.
Survival rates have doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.
Frances Kippax-Geary, Cancer Research UK’s Northern Ireland events manager, said: “We’d like to thank our VIP starters Genevieve and Harriet and everyone who came along to make Race for Life Belfast so special.
“Sadly, most of us know someone whose life has been touched by cancer. But thanks to the huge progress that has been made in the fight against the disease, more people in Northern Ireland are surviving cancer than ever before.
"Our aim is that one day everyone will beat cancer. The more research we can fund, the sooner that day will come.”
Entries are still open for Cancer Research UK’s Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids, a 5K mud splattered obstacle course, which is on Saturday September 7 at Ormeau Park.
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