Inspirational teenager Arden Tuerlinckx beamed with pride as she tackled the Cape Wrath trail to raise funds for our vital work.
Arden completed the 230-mile challenge across the Scottish Highlands in memory of her little brother Frodi, who passed away from osteosarcoma when he was just 9 years old.
The route is considered to be the most challenging long-distance backpacking trail in Britain, taking the average hiker around three weeks to complete from start to finish.
Arden, however, completed the trail in just two weeks and even challenged herself to run the distance - clocking up around 30km per day.
Reflecting on how running helped her cope with Frodi's illness, she said:
I used running to channel the pain when seeing my cheerful, happy-go-lucky little brother struggle with chemotherapy. I was separated from him for eight months during his treatment in Glasgow, and ever since he passed away in October. I'm sure this journey will help me too.
Arden's mum, Kune Vanommeslaeghe, knew the terrain would be challenging for her daughter, commenting:
Arden is quite experienced at hiking and camping in the Highlands and has completed some long runs in the past, but never anything like this. She is familiar with the area and its challenges, and is very resilient. I couldn't be prouder of her for taking on this challenge to raise much-needed funds in Frodi's name.
Arden's Cape Wrath trail has raised an incredible £5,617 for Frodi's Phoenix Fund, a Special Fund of the Bone Cancer Research Trust. It is Arden's hope that the money will help find kinder, more effective treatments for patients like Frodi.
The pair had an extremely close bond growing up after losing their dad at a young age, with Arden describing Frodi as her "best friend as well as brother."
In May 2021, Frodi noticed a small bump under his knee and was soon diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
At the point of diagnosis his disease was not metastatic, but the tumour continued to grow despite harsh chemotherapy that took its toll on his tiny body. Because of this, his rotationplasty procedure was brought forward.
When Frodi's lung collapsed for a second time in December, a CT scan showed many tumours had developed. He was treated with a different chemotherapy regimen for two months, but the tumours continued to grow. Frodi passed away at home on 31st October 2022, just weeks before his 10th birthday.
There is still time to donate to Arden's Cape Wrath trail fundraiser:
To find out more about Frodi's journey, visit:
Arden's Cape Wrath trail
