On October 11th 2017, just two weeks after her 14th birthday, Liberty Schurer sadly passed away from Ewing sarcoma.
During Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, two of Liberty's oldest friends, Betsy and Lulu, decided to take on the epic challenge of running the London Landmarks Half Marathon in Liberty's memory. In her own words, Lulu shares more about their friendship and why she took on the challenge.
Liberty Schurer was one of my best friends growing up, we met when we were only seven years old and continued our friendship right through middle school to secondary. Liberty was one of a kind for sure, and you were lucky to know her if you did. She was someone who I always admired and looked up to like a big sister.
Even though she was only one month older than me, she always was years ahead telling me all sorts of things a 12-year-old definitely shouldn't know. She was the most passionate person and cared deeply for her friends and people around her.
You could hear her laugh a mile away and you could never not laugh along with her.
In September 2016 on Liberty's 13th birthday, she was diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive form of bone cancer, Ewing sarcoma.
During her gruelling treatment, Liberty was an absolute inspiration to all of us. She just got on with it in typical Libs fashion, rarely losing her amazing sense of humour and that dazzling smile, for which she will always be remembered, rarely slipping from her face.
After finishing her treatment in August 2017, Liberty discovered a new lump, which devastatingly had spread extensively throughout her lungs, liver, and lymph glands. With this heartbreaking news, Libs still fought on with that fierce determination she was known for, opting for chemotherapy to try and extend her life.
At this moment I couldn't be more proud of her, she was truly the strongest person I knew and she became my inspiration.
Throughout the tough year she had, her friends and I did all we could with hospital visits, movie evenings, regular FaceTime calls... we tried our hardest so that Liberty could make all the parties we know were so important to her and made sure she never missed out.
After a courageous 13-month battle with bone cancer, Liberty sadly gained her angel wings on 11th October 2017, just two weeks after celebrating her 14th birthday.
It was during these last few weeks that the idea for Liberty's Legacy, a Special Fund of the Bone Cancer Research Trust, was born.
During the course of her illness Liberty's biggest frustration, and indeed ours, was the total lack of funding and research into this deadly disease.
The protocol with which she was treated was decades old, designed for adults, and most shockingly survival rates for Ewing sarcoma had not improved in nearly 40 years. How could this be?
Liberty's greatest wish was that we fundraise in her name, with all proceeds going towards research into Ewing sarcoma, so that no other child need suffer in the same way and no other family be devastatingly ripped apart.
Through Liberty's Legacy, we hope that her name will live on and allow us to bring Liberty into the future with us and give honour and meaning to her life.
As her friend, I will continue to support and keep her legacy going so she will be remembered for the person she was, not only this but to help other children.
I took part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon along with Liberty's friends and family on 7th April 2024. This was definitely a challenge for me, even more than the skydive I did a couple of years ago. With your support and encouragement Betsy and I were able to complete this for you, Libs!
There's still time to show Lulu your support by visiting:
To read more about Liberty's Legacy, please visit:
Everyone at the Bone Cancer Research Trust would like to thank Lulu and all the Liberty's Legacy runners who took on the London Landmarks Half Marathon.
London Landmarks Half Marathon 2024
