Young Leeds woman's charity walk through dad's favourite spots on Yorkshire coast after tragic Leukaemia death

Gracie May Coe, 20, is to take on the walk with seven of her high school friends to raise thousands of pounds for Blood Cancer UK in memory of her dad.

David Coe - who grew up in Swinton before moving to Leeds and later Leicester - was a head teacher and football coach.

Speaking to the YEP, Gracie - from South Milford, Leeds - said her dad "had a massive impact on so many people" and "everyone he worked with loved him".

David suffered from mixed type Leaukaemia, AML and ALL, and had very limited treatment options, Gracie said.

She told the YEP her family feel he "didn't get a fair chance at fighting the disease".

In his memory, Gracie has now set out to raise huge sums for the charity and "raise awareness about the disease and how it can impact families".

Gracie said: "I’m doing the walk mainly to raise money which will hopefully allow better research into treatment options for leukaemia.

"My dad had mixed type leukaemia, AML and ALL, and he had very limited options for treatment and we feel he didn’t get a fair chance at fighting the disease.

"I hope to raise some awareness about the disease and how it can impact families and take peoples lives so quickly.

"Losing my dad so young and unexpectedly really made me realise how little time we may have, which makes me want to do more things like this that could help make a difference in some way.

"Even if it just saves one person or family the heartbreak we are going through.

"I also just want to do anything I can to make him proud."

Gracie spoke glowingly of her relationship with her dad.

She added: "My dad was a really hands on dad, I always talked about how he could literally do everything.

"He was always very into gardening.

"He was a headteacher so every school holidays he had a new garden or house project.

"Eventually he packed it in to set up his own landscape gardening business early 2020 which he was really successful in.

"I know that even before he was ill he wished he’d started it sooner.

"He’s always been a massive Manchester City fan since he was young, along with my uncle (his brother) and my brother, and quite a lot of his family.

"Being a headteacher and working in primary schools the majority of his adult life he had a massive impact on so many peoples lives, everyone he worked with loved him and I know all the children did too.

"He had a great sense of humour and was just a kind man in general.

"He also coached my brother’s football team for years and I know they all looked up to him too."

Gracie is set to walk on September 26 through some of her dad's favourite places.

She has already raised well over £1,000 on her GoFundMe page - available to view by clicking here.Gracie will walk past Filey, Scarborough and Cayton Bay on the walk.

She added: "All of those places just seem even more special to us now.

"The beach will always remind me of him."