'˜Amazing' couple complete mammoth 1,000-mile cycle to help young Denmead cancer sufferer

Brave Bethany Tiller, from Denmead, is waiting for a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December.

When Mick and Angie Upson heard about her story, they go in touch with Bethany, 15, and offered to ride from Lands End to John O’Groats to help make her holiday wish come from true.

On Saturday the pair, from Cosham, were welcomed back with a party at the White Hart Pub in Hambledon Road, Denmead.

They started their journey on Friday June 9, and it took them 12 days to complete the 1,000 mile challenge.

Mick, 56, said: ‘We decided before Christmas that we wanted to do something like this for charity, but we wanted it to be personal rather than a big charity.

‘It’s all about giving them something else to think about.’

The pair are aiming to raise about £5,000, and are planning to hold more events, including a charity golf day next month.

Angie, who works in the maternity ward at the QA Hospital, said: ‘We heard that Bethany’s dad was going to take her on holiday, but we’re a really close family and we wanted their family to go together.

‘The cycle ride was agony. It was really hard, but we never had any problems on the road. Everyone we met were really friendly as well.

‘We wanted to do something like this together, but I also wanted to encourage kids to do more sport as well.’

After being diagnosed Bethany underwent three months of intense chemotherapy, and was told the cancer had gone.

But less than a week later she fell ill, and returned to hospital to find out the cancer had returned.

Doctors have told her a transplant is the best way to help beat the disease.

Bethany said the idea for the holiday came about after she was forced to stay in hospital last Christmas, and from watching festive film favourite Home Alone 2, which is set in New York.

Bethany’s dad David said: ‘Mick and Angie have been amazing. They really smashed the cycle ride, doing about 80 miles every day.

‘We are big Christmas fans and when Bethany was diagnosed last year we didn’t have a proper one as a family.’

To donate to the campaign go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mick-angie-jogle.