TWIN brothers are set to take part in a 10k run after their father was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
John and Anthony Hacking, 16, decided to sign up for the Manchester event, with their friend Danny Cunliffe, to try and raise the spirits of 65-year-old John Hacking after he was given the devastating news.
John said he also wanted to raise awareness of his father’s illness.
The Training 2000 student, of Lower Ashworth Close, Blackburn, said: “At the moment, my dad is not feeling very well at all, but hopefully when we do the run, it will give him a boost, and it will be something for him to stay strong for. He told us he is proud of us, even though he is feeling down.
“The Manchester 10k is a massive eventm with 40,000 people. It is on TV and hopefully my dad will be watching.
“We chose to do it because it is a race that is close to home, and so that we could run for my dad.
“We plan to finish the race all together, and hopefully my dad will be proud of us. I expect it to be quite emotional.”
John, and Anthony, who works for Twist Fix, in Burnley, and 18-year-old Danny, a plumber with Twin Valley Homes, plan to add in some extra training, alongside their usual football practice.
They have raised £240 so far for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
He said: “The main thing we are trying to do is raise awareness. People are talking about the disease more since Hayley Cropper got it on Coronation Street and there was a lot of positive feedback.
“My dad retired from his job as a cleaner at Asda and that is when he started to feel ill.
“He started complaining of chest pain and pain in his abdominal region. It took them so long to find anything and it was not until January that they found the tumour because it is so deep in the body.”
On February 14, Mr Hacking’s illness was described as terminal.
To sponsor the trio for their challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/ JJunior16 or text JDAD 65 plus the amount you want to donate to 70070.
