7:30am Thursday 9th June 2011
By Helen Perkins
PEOPLE from around the world are rushing to respond to a dying teenage girl’s wishlist.
On Monday, fifteen-year-old Alice Pyne wrote a ‘bucket list’ from her hospital bed of things she wants to do before she dies – and within 48 hours offers of help started to pour in.
Alice suffers from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and may have only weeks to live.
The Ulverston teenager started a blog by outlining a list of 17 experiences she hoped to achieve in her final days.
And yesterday it was mentioned in the House of Commons.
Among the Chetwynde School pupil’s hopes is for everyone to sign up to be a bone marrow donor.
Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock took up her cause during Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament.
Mr Woodcock told David Cameron: “After four years, 15-year-old Alice Pyne in my constituency is losing her battle against cancer.
“At the top of the list is a call to make everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor, so will he work with the leader of the opposition and I to address why too few people are currently on this life-saving register?”
Mr Cameron responded by saying: “I will certainly do that and I am sorry to hear about the situation facing Alice and what she’s going through, and our thoughts go out to her and her family.
“We do want to get as many people as possible on to the register.”
Alice had chemotherapy treatment but this failed to work and last year her condition was diagnosed as terminal.
Take That’s manager is in discussion with Alice’s parents Vicky and Simon Pyne after being inundated with requests on behalf of the teenager.
Alice, who is believed to be at Alder Hey Hospital, in Liverpool, wrote to hundreds of fans on her blog site.
“I sat up all night reading posts as they came in from all over the planet and they have made me smile so much.
“I'm excited about the things I am going to be doing, but the biggest thing has to be all the people who are joining bone marrow donation schemes because of me.
“I will take a camera with me wherever I go and post photos of everything I do.”
Well-wishers from the USA, Canada and the UK sent her story in a relay which generated more than 2,000 pledges of help.
Beauty salons from Barrow and fashion designers from London have offered massages and hotel trips while an international community from New York to Berlin rallied round to organise sending iPads and music vouchers to be sent from abroad.
“This shows the power of the web,” said one page editor.
Thousands more praised Alice for her optimistic outlook.
Celebrities have lined up to support her cause on Twitter, including pop star Katy Perry, comedian Dara O'Briain, comedian Bill Bailey, former footballer Robbie Savage and TV presenters Phillip Schofield, Stephen Fry, Richard Madeley and Fearne Cotton.
Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said: “Alice’s courage and compassion is a benchmark for us all.
"One of her dreams is to promote bone marrow donation and I am committed to do all I can to promote it.”
Click on the links below to read Alice's bucket list, our previous stories and her blog.
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