"It feels like only yesterday": Mother to host bone cancer fundraiser in Seaford on 20th anniversary of son's death

Gill Johnston has organised the event at Seaford & District Constitutional Club to raise money for the Anthony Pilcher Bone Cancer Trust - named after her son.

Gill said: “Back in 2001, Anthony was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at the age of 14, he had various treatments and chemotherapy, but unfortunately the cancer spread and he lost his battle with it on October 8, 2002.

"Before he died, he wanted to start raising funds for research and so following his death we carried that on.”

Gill’s son, Anthony Pilcher, passed away from Osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that begins in the cells that form bones and predominantly affects young people aged between 10 and 24.

The teenager attended Lewes Old Grammar School and lived with his mother in Peacehaven.

Following his death Gill registered a charity in his name and then formed the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT), alongside other bereaved parents.

Gill said: “Before Anthony died, he wanted to start raising funds for research and so following his death we carried that on.

“We got to a point where we had the money and didn't know what to do with it, because research is not one of my areas of expertise.

“I put out some feelers and contacted a doctor called Ian Lewis, who was an oncology consultant in Leeds and he had other parents, who were in the same situation of having lost children to Osteosarcoma and had been raising money. He got us all together in a meeting and we formed a national charity called the Bone Cancer Research Trust.”

Gill still raises funds locally for Anthony's charity and then passes the money onto the BCRT, where the cash is ring fenced for research into Osteosarcoma.

Gill said: “Considering we started from scratch we have achieved quite a bit, but we are still a long way from a cure because these things take many many years, but we are making progress and that’s what our kids wanted and we are doing it on their behalf.

“The fact that the 20th anniversary is on a Saturday means it just feels like an ideal opportunity to bring it back to everyone’s attention, to raise more awareness of this dreadful cancer that is not very well heard of.”

Tickets for the Seaford event are £10 and will include a fundraising raffle, as well as a performance from an Adele tribute act.

Reflecting on the last 20 years, Gill said: “It’s been a very difficult time. Twenty years sometimes feels like a lifetime, but other times it feels like only yesterday.

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“When Anthony was diagnosed, there was no information available at all, so we have spent the last twenty years just raising people’s awareness of the symptoms, so if their children or grandchildren complain about these various things, it's on their radar, because quite often it would not be.

“We did do an event most years, but coming out from the pandemic and all being able to meet up again, it just seems the right time to actually make a big thing of it and make it into a celebration on what would be a sad day.”

To donate to the cause, buy tickets for the event, or find out more information about the charities click here