As Beth Phelps, a 12-year-old girl, was getting ready for bed one night and was brushing her teeth, her parents noticed a “protruding lump” on her shoulder, visible through her T-shirt.

Until that very moment, Beth was a healthy little girl.

Unfortunately, after a doctor’s visit, it was discovered 12-year old Beth had a 7cm lesion on her left lung which turned out to be Ewing sarcoma, a rare and deadly kind of cancer. 

Beth started treatments right away. She had undergone surgeries, chemo treatments and radiotherapy after which she was given all-clear.

In June 2022, Beth started to experience pain in her right shoulder. The pain increased and an x-ray revealed that the cancer had returned to her other lung. This time, the prognosis was grim.

Beth passed away on October 3, 2022.

Before her tragic passing, her parents were offered a therapeutic study. However, they decided to use palliative care to make “her time left as comfortable as possible.”

Speaking of the family’s ordeal, Beth’s dad, Ben, said, “Our world in the blink of an eye was completely tipped upside down. She had no symptoms that stood out. Beth was a healthy little girl.

“But she took all the treatment in her stride, despite being terrified of needles. When we were told her cancer had come back, we were shocked and heartbroken.”

The devastated father added: “We’d never heard of Ewing sarcoma before. That’s why I’m trying to raise as much money as I can, so we can find kinder treatments to help more people survive.

“Beth is my guiding light and inspiration always; this might be a tough physical challenge, but doesn’t compare to anything she endured. We miss Beth every day, and we are determined to make a difference in her name.”

Now, Ben has undertaken a cycling challenge to raise money for the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT) from Land’s End, Cornwall, to John O’Groats, Caithness, Scotland.