AN INSPIRATIONAL woman who is going through treatment for terminal cancer has walked the full length of the Ayrshire coastline for charity.

Lorraine Facchini, from Ayr, took on the challenge whilst undergoing chemotherapy treatment at the Beatson in Glasgow.

Her amazing effort saw kind donations of £5,000 which she intends to split between four charities; Ayrshire Cancer Support, Ovarian Cancer Research and the Christie Hospital in Manchester – a specialist cancer treatment centre.

The former primary school headteacher achieved this amazing feat walking through times of illness and personal tragedy, as her brother Hugh Alexander (Tugg) died suddenly as she approached the final stages, and a close family member was also receiving treatment.

Lorraine told the Advertiser: “It wasn’t an easy walk as I am not as fit as I once was, and I was still going through my treatment. At one point I took very ill, I couldn’t walk for a month.

“Towards the end of the walk, my brother died very suddenly. To finish it was a tribute to my brother, he had given a £100 donation and he would have wanted me to finish it. He had the belief I could do it.”

Lorraine managed to finish the walk with the support of family, who joined her at the final stage in Skelmorlie.

The brave walker, was overwhelmed with emotion when she finished the challenge.

She added: “It was exhilarating, it was a really I did feel a sense of achievement, I was kind of re-invigorated, because of my life limiting illness. I felt that I was so privileged to live in a beautiful place and that life was so worth living.”

Lorraine’s own emotional journey began in 2018 when she was told she had stage four ovarian cancer – meaning it was incurable.

She was left in shock when doctors revealed the news and was given dedicated support from a counsellor at Ayrshire Cancer Support to come to terms with the diagnosis.

Her treatment became more complex as she took a bad reaction to one of the drugs doctors gave her which she says was a ‘one in a thousand chance’.

For the next year she received treatment at the Beatson, with ACS volunteer drivers helping her get to the appointment.

Lorraine set out to do the walk to help ACS for their help and to help others going who are having to travel to Glasgow to battle cancer.

She said: “In June 2018, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it’s life limiting so it’s not going to get any better.

“It was a real shock. I spoke with a counsellor at Ayrshire Cancer Support and they helped me come to terms with it.

“At that point in time, we didn’t know if it was treatable, doctors were still running tests.

“Everybody reacts very differently to drugs. I was having a reaction to them, so I couldn’t really get the cocktail of chemotherapy they wanted me to. One in thousand have a reaction, I just happened to be that one.”

“You’re very anxious the day that you go for treatment because you feel lousy afterwards, once or twice I didn’t get treatment because my blood count wasn’t right, or my blood pressure was too high.

“But it’s nice to be with others in the car, it distracts you, people are great.

“You can see the funny side, with different people that you go up with.

“I always had it in my mind that I would have to do something to give back, I have to say it wasn’t just for ACS. Thestaff at the Beatson were brilliant.

I owe my life to the NHS for the treatment I have received.”