THE family and friends of a brain tumour campaigner are keeping his legacy alive to mark the first anniversary of his death from the disease.
Liam Bergin, formerly of Knutsford, was hit with a shock in April 2020 when he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM).
Despite this, the dad-of-three threw himself into fundraising to find a cure for a disease, completing a number of challenges to raise around £45,000 for the Brain Tumour Research charity.
For three years, Liam continued to battle the glioblastoma while raising money before he died on June 26, 2023, aged 52.
Now, as the first anniversary of his death approaches, Liam's family and friends are continuing his mission by fundraising for Brain Tumour Research.
One of Liam's fundraising initiatives was a 100-mile coast to coast tandem bike from Whitehaven to Tynemouth with his son Joe, 21.
Joe, who this month completed the same ride with 23 of his friends - all of whom knew Liam, said: “Since Dad died, it’s been a really difficult year, but I want to make the most of what there is.
"Dad wouldn’t want people moping around being sad, he’d want them to have a good time.
“The ride brought back really nice memories; it was great to have that connection again.
"I thought about Dad a lot and it was emotional, but his spirit got us through it.
"Everyone wanted to do something positive, so it was good to be able to raise some money for this great cause."
Liam, who moved to Bollington shortly before his death, also left behind wife Jen, as well as daughters Caitlin, 19, and Esme, 17.
Joe and other family members have taken on other fundraising challenges in Liam's memory.
In April this year, Joe and his uncle Dominic Bergin cycled Liège–Bastogne–Liège, also known as La Doyenne, in Belgium to raise money to fund research.
Dominic then took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge with his sister Alexandra.
She said: "Liam would have loved to have ridden one the ‘Classics’ of cycling and he would have loved the hills of Yorkshire. We hope this is a worthy tribute."
Joe added: “I want to thank all the lads who came on the trip, and Joel McNicholls, Sam Moser, Katja Braun and James Moser.
"I’m really proud of everyone, and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without our sponsors, Beans Accountants, Amnesia Flowers, Brodericks, and Forton Leisure."
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Ashley McWilliams, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “These amazing challenges are such a fitting way to remember Liam who did so much for the brain tumour community.
"With one in three people knowing someone affected by a brain tumour, Liam’s story is, sadly, not unique.
"Brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer. We’re determined to change that, but we can’t do it alone. Together we will find a cure."
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK.
It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.
The charity is also behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
To donate to Joe’s JustGiving page, visit: justgiving.com/page/c2c-v2.
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