STEVEN’S BIKE RIDE FOR MUM A DAY AFTER LOSING HER

Brave Steven Andrews took part in a bike ride to raise money for cancer charities the day after the disease took his mum.

Steven’s mum Heather had been fighting breast cancer for four-and-a-half years and the 13-year-old knew she was nearing the end when he started planning his 40-mile ride in March.

And when Mrs Andrews finally passed away at the St Barnabas Hospice on March 14, the whole family was prepared.

But what his fellow pupils and teachers at William Farr School, in Welton were not prepared for was that the plucky teenager would be in the next day – rounding up his mates to raise money in memory of his mum.

Joining Steven in the ride were Sam Blanchet (15) and 14-year-old pals Justin Blanchet, Daniel Clark, Will Hodson, Megan Limb, Daniel Knowles, Holly Mansfield, Archie Selka and Harry Scott.

They rode 40 miles from Fiskerton to Whisby Nature Park and back and raised £2,500 for St Barnabas Hospice Trust and Cancer Research.

Steven said his mum had always been a fighter and that he would live his life the same way.

“She never, ever gave up,” he said. “If she set her heart on something she fought until she got it.

“That’s what she taught me and that is what I wanted to do here.

“These charities have helped her over the last four-and-a-half years and I wanted to pay them back.”

Steven said coping with his mum’s illness had been tough on him and his dad Stuart.

“It wasn’t the easiest of times, but you have to keep going and think for the best,” he said.

“I just want to thank all of my mates, it was great knowing they were there for me.

“I want to give a special mention to Holly who was struggling on the ride, but never gave up and to Megan who kept up with us all the way and did it in a really good time – mum would be proud of all of us.”

Steven’s head of year at William Farr, Jennifer West, said that everyone there was very proud of Steven too.

“He is a proper little gentleman,” she said.

“He’s very stoic and always wanting to do the right thing. A lovely person to teach.

“The fact that his mates did this shows how highly we all think of him.

“He was in here the day after his mum died, making sure everyone was organised and ready. He’s a real star.