Lisburn teenager will be putting her best foot forward at this year's Shine Walk in Belfast in memory of her grandmother

The fundraising event will be held on Bethany’s 16th birthday on October 14 and she is looking forward to taking part to raise money for the charity in memory of her beloved Granny Lana Cree, who sadly passed away just six weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Bethany’s mum Zoe explained: “My mum was not only my best friend but my girls’ world. They adored her just as much as she adored them.

"My mum had been going to her doctor about a pain in her lower back for over a year but kept being told that it was her arthritis spreading from her knee to back.

“Then my mum had developed a cough approximately 11 months ago, which the doctor had put down to a chest infection and kept putting her on antibiotics for a chest infection.

"I insisted we go to A&E and waited 20 hours in the Royal to be seen. They sent my mum for a x-ray, which came back with a shadow on the lung.

"We were told she had small cell lung cancer that had spread and it was aggressive and past a stage were they could offer help.

“They allowed my mum to come home to be with family. It was so hard to watch, especially for my girls.

"The week the care package was put in place was the week my mum gained her angel wings. From going to A&E we had nearly six wonderful weeks with my mum.

"Bethany is my youngest daughter and it has hit her hard so I thought maybe she needed something to focus on and suggested raising awareness and helping Cancer Research.

"Bethany loved this idea as she said she doesn't want what happened to her granny and us to happen to anyone else's family.”

Bethany had a strong connection with her granny and her loss was devastating to the whole family.

"I had a bond with my granny like no other,” said Bethany, who is a student at Fort Hill Integrated College. “To me she was more like a second mum rather than a grandparent.

"That is one of the main reasons I've decided to dedicate myself to fundraising for cancer charities; to help people who will go through what I went through, as the pain I felt and emptiness it left in my heart the day she passed I haven’t been able to fill or stop.

"So me and my mum decided that the best thing to do would be to help others by selfless acts while also taking my mind off the situation.”

Bethany is hoping as many local people as possible will support her fundraising drive. To make a donation, visit https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/bethanys-giving-page-2346

"The loss of my granny has broken many hearts and I believe that she will live through me and my family members everyday.

"I hope that she would be so proud of me,” added Bethany.

"I miss her so much but I’m glad I can try and raise money for her and cancer research to help treat patients, help others going through the same process I did and further their research.”