GCSE delight for York cancer battler Becky

10:20am Monday 25th August 2008

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SHE’S an inspiration to other students and proof that hard work pays off.

Plucky York teenager Becky Peace has managed to achieve three As and eight Bs in her GCSEs, despite battling cancer.

The 16-year-old was diagnosed with the illness in January and was so sick that she spent three months in hospital and missed an entire term of school.

But Becky was adamant she would not miss her crucial Year 11 exams, and on Thursday she celebrated by collecting her 11 GCSEs from Tadcaster Grammar School.

Geoff Mitchell, Becky’s head teacher, said the whole school was rightly proud of her achievement, which was made all the greater because, throughout her exams, she was coping with the side-effects of her treatment for Hodgkin’s Disease.

Mr Mitchell said: “Becky’s courage, determination and ability have been recognised by these outstanding results. Our whole community shares her celebration.”

Proud mum, Sue, said: “It’s just the best news. All her teachers are just astounded. We’re astounded – we couldn’t have wished for better results.

“Becky just worked so hard and it was a real struggle for her trying to stay awake for the exams, so GCSE day for us was a real day of celebrations.”

This is not the first time Becky, of Beadle Garth, Copmanthorpe, has made headlines, as on July 6 she completed the York Race For Life.

Becky, who will now be going on to study A-levels at Tadcaster Grammar School, said: “It was a shock, I thought I’d get mainly Cs and a few Ds. My teachers didn’t want me to do the exams because I was so tired and sickly, but I wanted to do them to be a bit more normal and so I could talk to my friends about it.

“I’m going on to sixth form at Tadcaster Grammar School I’m doing sociology, travel and tourism and RE. Those are just the subjects I enjoy and I might want to go travelling once I’m older.

“I finished radiotherapy this week and I’ll be seeing different consultants and having a scan in three months to see how everything’s going. The doctor’s are really pleased with my progress and now I’m just going to spend the next few weeks relaxing and getting my strength up before the start of term.

“I went out for a meal with the family to celebrate after getting my results and then some more friends came over, it was a really nice day.”

Becky and her friends at Tadcaster Grammar School have already raised £3,000 for the Teenage Cancer Unit at St James’s Hospital in Leeds, where Becky spent the first three months of her illness. They organised a gowns and glitter evening at school and have held cake stalls and taken part in charity gigs. Becky raised nearly £800 after running Race for Life.