Brave teenagers step out with cricket great

Ellie Phillips, 14, and 13-year-old Megan Armitage, who met while undergoing chemotherapy for leukaemia, will embark on the five-mile Emily’s Big Walk at Rother Valley Country Park this Sunday.

The walk is part of a national series of walks to raise money for cancer sufferers, after five-year-old Emily Bailes from Walsall died of cancer in 2008.

The former Yorkshire cricketer, who is a heavy fundraiser for Sheffield Children’s Hospital and is currently practising for his debut on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, will start the walkers off by officially opening the event at 2.30pm.

Ellie and Megan, meanwhile, will be on the start line with their families.

Ellie, from Woodhouse in Sheffield, said: “I think it’s important to raise awareness, because people talk about breast cancer and other cancers, but no one mentions how many kids have got cancer.”

Megan, also from Woodhouse, found out she had cancer after Christmas in 2011.

She said: “I want to do the walk because it’s raising money and awareness about cancer.

“While I’ve been poorly my friends have been really supportive and everyone has been really friendly.”

Both girls have been having chemotherapy at the children’s hospital, which will benefit from this Sunday’s charity walk.

Professor Ajay Vora, consultant paediatric oncologist at the hospital, is supporting the event.

He said: “It’s a great thing for people to do because it’s so important this issue stays in the limelight and people remember there are children out there fighting cancer.

“If we can raise some money to provide them with extra resources to enjoy their lives despite this illness then that’s fantastic.”