Me and my mum, who is making a good recovery from breast cancer

In 2006 my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I was just 13 years old and the bottom completely fell out of my world.  As we were studying citizenship at school, I decided it was time to create a breast cancer campaign that was run by kids for kids.  My Rose Campaign has run successfully at my school for the past two years and, with the help of ITV Fixers, Cancer Research UK and John Lewis & Partners, I am now pursuing my dream of trying to have my campaign run in every secondary school across the UK by 2012.

In 2007 my group sold 200 roses and in 2008 we sold 350 roses, making £200 and £350 for breast cancer research.   Each year the campaign’s popularity grows as it becomes more widely talked about and pupils realise that collecting silk roses is a wonderful memento of their time at school.  If I can achieve my dream of every secondary school in the UK selling just 200 roses this would make an estimated £1.1m for research into this devastating disease.

My mum is now doing really well following her treatment.  This was due mainly to early diagnosis, but others are not so lucky.  I strongly urge the school to get behind this campaign because it is a fantastic way to raise awareness for the plight of others and if enough schools get behind it hopefully we can find a cure sooner rather than later and other pupils won’t have to suffer the terrible anguish and stress that such horrible news can bring.

Lizze McLean