Friends and family of Leeds nursing student to ride 200 miles in her memory

Relatives and mates of Elly Sheard will ride from Leeds, where she studied, to Cambridge, where she grew up.

Leeds University graduate Elly, who worked on the wards at St James’ Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary, died aged 32 from an aggressive form of the disease in October 2015.

She was a keen cyclist and suggested the fundraising idea to friends before she died.

Dad Ken Sheard said: “I’m sure that Elly would be pleased that I am taking part in this bike ride and helping publicise a cause so close to her heart. Not only did we cycle together whenever we could, but Elly rode everywhere from an early age, even riding into Cambridge at an advanced stage of her illness. Taking part will remind me of just how close we were and how much we enjoyed doing things together.”

A dozen friends and family will set off from Kirkstall Abbey at 6am on April 30 and are scheduled to arrive in will in Elly’s home village of Girton, Cambs, on Sunday evening,

They are riding to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and to raise money for the Harris and Trotter Client’s Charitable Trust who helped fund her last treatment. Elly began having unusual health symptoms in early 2014 and was initially diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer months later and underwent a year of gruelling and invasive treatments. But these proved unsuccessful and she was advised in July 2015 that no further NHS treatment was available. Her consultant referred her to the Helping Treat Cancer Together Committee to fund pioneering immunotherapy. But she died before completing it.

You can donate to the charitable trust who tried to help Ellie by visiting http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/PassItOn.