Woman who lost three children will take on 24-hour charity cycle

An elderly lady, who lost her three children in tragic circumstances, will ride her bike on a 24-hour cycle in their memory.

Mavis Paterson, from Auchenmalg in Dumfries and Galloway, first started raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support when her younger sister was dying of cancer ten years ago.

Since then in the space of four years Mrs Paterson has lost all three of her adult children. Struggling to find the words about her loss, she said: “My husband John, died 0 Mavis Paterson is raising money for Macmillan cancer in 1996 and I still miss him, but since my three children died, I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything at all. It’s been unimaginable grief and its grief that never dies.

“It’s awful. All my children were only in their forties, that’s just young, way too young. Sandy, my son died first, he had a heart attack and then I lost Katie, my daughter, only six months later to viral pneumonia. Bob, my other son, was killed in an accident in 2016.”

Mrs Paterson, who will take on the 24-hour cycle around Stranraer this weekend, said: “Everyone is helping, the whole of the Macmillan committee will be out on the road at different points giving their support. I really do feel so grateful to them for helping me because this is therapeutic.”