A Keighley cancer victim has praised the behaviour of local secondary school pupils on a recent trip to France.

Mandy Canning, 37, has malignant melanoma - a form of skin cancer - which has now spread to her internal organs.

She has just finished ten chemotherapy sessions and started a course of radiotherapy at Cookridge Hospital. But last week she accompanied the Holy Family School pilgrimage to the shrine at Lourdes.

Mandy, who has two daughters at the school - 14-year-old Kelly and Stacey, 17 - travelled on a coach with 30 Year Ten boys.

"They were so kind," she says, "They moved off the back seat so I could lie down and have a rest. And every time they walked past they said 'are you alright Mrs C - can I get anything for you?'"

The overnight journey was tiring for Mandy, who is in frequent pain, but regular stops eased her discomfort.

She deliberately travelled separately from her daughters, who were also on the trip.

She explains: "I've been to Lourdes twice before and wanted them to experience it on their own without looking after me. They found me when they wanted money."

Two sixth form boys were assigned to look after her, and picked her up from her hotel each morning.

Mandy says her illness has made her look differently at the pilgrimage to the grotto and spring, where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared to St Bernadette Soubirous.

She says: "I looked around and saw some desperately poorly people - it really was a humbling experience. I didn't go looking for miracle cures, just an inner peace."

Former line dancing teacher Mandy lives at Providence Court in Oakworth with her daughters and husband Lawrence, an engineer.

She says her illness has been eased by the constant support of friends and family.

"My phone must ring 40 times a day. People are just marvellous," she adds.

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