Latest news with #ParkSchool
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Devastated Kilmarnock teachers to run Race for Life in tribute to beloved pupil Katy Hay
Teachers are hoping to reach their £10,000 target for Cancer Research UK in Katy Hay's memory. Park School teachers are set to take part in Race for Life as a heartfelt tribute to Katy Hay, a beloved S4 pupil who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fifteen-year-old Katy sadly lost her battle last month after fighting one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of bone cancer for the past year. The event, which raises money to fund life-saving cancer research, will see the Park School team running and walking in Katy's name. Julie Martin, one of the teachers taking part, got a leaflet through her door about the Race for Life in Ayr. Julie asked on WhatsApp group if any of the teachers would be interested in taking part. From that suggestion the idea of doing it for Katy sprang up. Alanah Robb, who was Katy's key teacher, took charge of the JustGiving page and Claire Matthews, the other S4 key teacher, took charge of the more publicity and marketing aspects of finding funding. On behalf of school Alanah and Claire shared with Ayrshire Live: "We are all excited and nervous about doing it in equal measure. Planning for this and getting Katy's story out there to raise money for Cancer Research has given us a purpose and made us feel that we are helping in a horribly sad and tragic time. "Words cannot express how devastated we are by the loss of Katy. We are a small, tight-knit school, more like a family really. "Katy will be sorely missed by staff and pupils alike. We are finding it very difficult to come to terms with this painful end to Katy's young life. "As a family we will support each other and ensure that Katy's spirit lives on within our community." Alanah and Claire described Katy as "cheeky, stubborn and feisty" but also "extremely loving, caring and supportive." They said: "Most people reading this never got the chance to meet Katy and only know about her because of her illness. However, Katy was so much more than her cancer diagnosis. "The Katy that we knew was full of personality and sass. She was cheeky, stubborn and feisty. She had withering looks and rolling her eyes down to a fine art. A typical teenager! "However, Katy was also extremely loving, caring, supportive, loyal to her friends and family and had a strong sense of right and wrong. She demonstrated immense strength and resilience always, not just when faced with the enormous challenges of this last year. "Katy came from a large, loving family who she spoke about her constantly. In fact, if you know Katy's family you will know they are a tribe of strong women who are never far from one another." Katy knew about the fundraiser before she passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 29. She was moved by the gesture from her teachers and felt proud. Katy's mum Shelly Cornick said: "I am so proud of the staff at Park School for doing this for Katy. "I just wish she was here to see it, she was so excited to go and watch them." Claire said: "Katy followed the progress of the fundraiser page and her mum Shelly told me that Katy was really proud of what we were trying to achieve in her name. They are completely supportive of everything that we are doing." She continued: "The last time we saw Katy was when a photographer came to Park School on Thursday, April 24 to take photos for an article on our participation in Race for Life. "Katy and her mum came too so that she could be in the photos with us wearing our Katy T-shirts. These T-shirts were kindly printed by Scott at Scottprint at no cost. "Katy and her mum had a good laugh at the T-shirts and Katy made sure that her mum showed us photos of her in her beautiful baby blue prom dress. Katy chatted about her upcoming trips to Craig Tara and Legoland. She talked about her new Beauty and the Beast Lego set and how she was looking forward to getting it started. She was in great form. "It was such a special morning and a memory we will all cherish. "In true Katy style she would not smile for the photographer Ross [Turpie] despite his best efforts. You really had to work hard to get a smile from Katy but when you succeeded it was so worth the effort." Park School teachers are now training for the Race for Life which will take place at The Low Green on Sunday, June 1. Alanah said: "We are all training in different ways. Some are planning to run the 10k so they are running most nights. A few of us are planning to walk so we are taking advantage of this good weather and getting out after work. "We have set up a team of 10 teachers but there are other teachers and Pupil Support Assistants who are going to join us on the day so I'm not sure how many there will be in total." She continued: "Scott at Scottprint printed Katy's photos onto our T-shirts at no cost. He also printed 300 leaflets to be distributed around the town. He has offered to reprint these with the painful update. Robin Burgess of Cyncronet, very kindly designed the leaflets at no cost and Morrisons and New Look donated the T-shirts." The JustGiving page has now raised over £3,000 in donations and teachers are hoping to reach their £10,000 target. Claire added: "More than ever we want to reach our goal. Katy was following our progress. She didn't get to have her prom or go to Lego Land so we want her to have this as her legacy." To support a fundraiser, please visit here.
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Scots teen girl shouted ‘mum help me' before suddenly dying in her arms
Katy was looking forward to attending her school prom next week when she tragically died BEGGED TO BE SAVED Scots teen girl shouted 'mum help me' before suddenly dying in her arms A MOTHER rushed to her cancer-stricken daughter's side after she shouted: 'Mum, help me' — only for the teenager to die in her arms. Shelly Cornick, 44, told of her 'unimaginable pain' after brave Katy Hay, 15, passed away unexpectedly with a suspected blood clot. 3 Katy Hay tragically passed away on April 26 3 Shelly Cornick has been left 'heartbroken' by her death 3 Katy was grieving last July when her dad Chris, died suddenly from organ failure Wiping away tears, she said: 'I feel robbed. We thought we had more time, and we had so many plans. "It is like living a nightmare — we are all devastated.' The mum of eight recalled how Katy had been prescribed antibiotics for an infection after feeling unwell last month. But two days later events took a tragic turn at the family's home in Kilmarnock. Shelly said: 'Katy had slept with me and had been up and down through the night. 'I went downstairs and heard her shouting, 'Mum, mum, help me', so I ran upstairs and held her and she just died in my arms. I feel robbed. It is like living a nightmare — we are all devastated... It is unimaginable pain Shelly Cornick 'The doctors think it might have been a blood clot. 'It's been such a shock — it is unimaginable pain.' Katy had been left grieving last July when her dad Chris Hay, 49, died suddenly from organ failure brought on by a silent cancer he hadn't even known that he had. We told how weeks earlier the schoolgirl had been referred to nearby Crosshouse Hospital after her GP found a lump on her left leg. Mum reveals terrifying photo of red mark travelling up thigh that turned out to be blood clot caused by pill Tests revealed she had stage-four Ewing sarcoma, a rare and very aggressive bone cancer that had spread to her lungs and pelvis. Katy then underwent a bone transplant, as surgeons removed her cancerous femur bone and replaced it with an artificial limb. After chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the teenager's prognosis was looking positive as the family enjoyed the festive season together. But in March, medics told Katy her cancer was terminal and she was sent home to spend time with loved ones. It's hard to go on without her. But we are all also so, so proud of Katy... She was inspirational Shelly Cornick The family then made plans to try to fulfil as many of her dreams as possible. These included taking a trip to Legoland and Katy attending her prom at the town's Park School, scheduled for next week. But she suddenly died on April 26 and was laid to rest on Thursday in the dress she had picked out for the prom. Shelly said: 'It's heartbreaking. Symptoms of a blood clot Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) DV is a blood clot in a vein, usually in the leg. DVT can be dangerous. Get medical help as soon as possible if you think you have DVT. Symptoms of DVT are: Throbbing pain in 1 leg (rarely both legs), usually in the calf or thigh, when walking or standing up Swelling in 1 leg (rarely both legs) Warm skin around the painful area Red or darkened skin around the painful area – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin Swollen veins that are hard or sore when you touch them These symptoms can also happen in your arm or tummy if that's where the blood clot is. Pulmonary embolism A pulmonary embolism is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your lungs. It can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. Symptoms are: Difficulty breathing that comes on suddenly Chest pain that's worse when you breathe in Coughing up blood You may also have pain, redness and swelling in one of your legs (usually the calf). Credit: NHS "All Katy wanted to do was to go to her school prom and she has been denied that chance.' It was another cruel blow for Shelly and her foster daughter Paula, 34, plus Katy's sisters Sophie and Whitney, both 28, Sharna, 26, Rea, 23, Alexis, 16, and Chloe, 15. But the mum insists they are all now taking courage from the battling teen's strength. She said: 'We feel so upset and it's hard to go on without her. 'But also we are all also so, so proud of Katy for how she handled everything she endured. 'Not a lot of people could have kept their sense of humour and determination. She was inspirational.'
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Amazing Kilmarnock teen planning 'dream' prom after devastating terminal cancer diagnosis
Katy Hay has planned a bucket list after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. A Kilmarnock teen facing terminal cancer will fulfil her dreams of having a prom with help from her school, her family and friends. Katy Hay, who recently won an award for being the most resilient young person of the year at East Ayrshire's Youth Awards, has spent the past year fighting one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of bone cancer. Katy, an S4 pupil at Park School, was diagnosed with stage 4 Ewing Sarcoma, also known as Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma, on April 12, 2024 after complaining of a pain in her thigh for three weeks. Since then, 15-year-old Katy has endured hospital stays, 10 rounds of chemotherapy and had major surgery as well as radiotherapy to help with the pain after finding out her cancer was back. Since finding out the news, Katy has been at home and has constant contact with specialist nurses that assist with anything she needs. With help from family she also started creating a bucket list of things she wants to do, including having a prom. Together with her best friend Kirsty they have been dreaming of going to prom since they were in first year at school. Katy's family, friends, headteacher Mrs Carole-Anne Burns and local businesses that kindly offered their services, will make Katy's dream come true on May 19. Katy's mum Shelly Cornick, 45, told Ayrshire Live: "Katy and her best friend Kirsty have been planning prom since they were in S1 so this is something we wanted to make sure they got. "Katy and Kirsty went to try on dresses at Beau Beau Boutique in Ayr where they found their perfect dresses. The woman there gave Katy her dress for nothing. "We also needed to have some alterations done to make sure it was safe for her as she walks with crutches and uses a wheelchair. Elizabeth Wallace is doing the alterations for free also." The prom will take place on May 19 at Crosshouse Bowling club, who have very kindly donated the hall. Katy and Kirsty have created mood boards for the prom and have come up with the theme 'Summer Nights'. The dress code is 'Dress to Impress', with the colour theme of blue and pink. Katy's aunt has organised a limo to take Katy from her house to St Joseph's Academy where the rest of her classmates will be waiting. They will then be taken to Crosshouse Bowling Club on a Boogie Bus, the owner of which has kindly reduced his normal rate. Park School headteacher Mrs Burns said: "The planning of the prom has given the girls a purpose and something positive to focus on. "We really want Katy to have the best prom ever and to make beautiful memories for all her family and friends." The family has also managed to secure special trips, including Craig Tara stay, while Make a Wish is flying Katy to Legoland for a few days. Shelly also shared that James Cunningham, Murray Bar owner, is trying to arrange for Katy to have a helicopter land outside the house and take her for a ride. He is also planning on taking her for flying lessons at Loch Lomond. While Shelly feels "heartbroken", she is trying to help her daughter as best as she can to make her life as joyful and comfortable as possible. She said: "Nothing is harder than watching your child so sick and there is nothing you can do to help. "Katy spent more time in hospital than at home so the ward became our home and the nurses, doctors and all the staff are our extended family. I will forever be grateful to them for what they did for us all as a family." Katy was first diagnosed with stage 4 Ewings Sarcoma on April 12, 2024. Shelly said: "At this point we did not know what kind of cancer she had as she needed to undergo more tests. "As you can imagine we were devastated and scared." Shelly continued: "Katy had been complaining of a pain in her thigh for three weeks and was taking regular pain medication which was abnormal for her. She also said she could feel a lump but when we felt her leg we couldn't feel anything, it wasn't until she was at the doctors and was getting on the examination bed that I finally saw the lump. "Katy was diagnosed with stage 4 Ewings Sarcoma, this is a very aggressive and rare bone cancer. "After meeting the medical team Katy was started on a regiment of five different chemo drugs, one week she would get three of them and then two weeks later she would get the remaining two. "She had surgery to remove the femur and replace it with a prosthetic bone. This took 13 hours. "Katy should have had 14 rounds of chemotherapy but she suffered really bad side effects from the chemo drugs so she was only able to have 10 rounds and got sepsis 3 times. "She also spent 6 weeks in the PICU where we nearly lost her a few times. She had to have an operation to remove 2/3rds of her colon which left her with a stoma." Last month, Katy mentioned the pain in her hip and top of her leg so the doctor brought her scans forward. Shelly said this is when medics found that the cancer had come back and it was spreading around Katy's pelvis. Shelly said: "Due to the fact the chemotherapy was basically killing her she couldn't have anymore. This is when we were told that Katy was now terminal. "Since finding out her cancer was back she has also had radiotherapy to help with the pain." She continued: "Katy is honestly one of the most amazing resilient people I know, through this whole journey she has just got on with it and been so strong. I have said it so many times throughout her life that she is my hero. "I think Katy's strength and determination have helped us get through it as she is the one going through it all. We are just helping her as best as we can." She added: "It has been such a hard journey, made harder for the girls as they lost their dad suddenly last year also." Recently, Katy won an award for being the most resilient young person of the year at the East Ayrshire Youth Awards at the Park Hotel. Katy has seven sisters and is the youngest child. She loves Lego, going for family days out, having chippy by the sea and being on her phone. As a family, Katy enjoys Disney dinners, where they choose a Disney movie and base the food around it, for instance for Lady and The Tramp night, Katy's family would watch a movie and have spaghetti and meatballs. Shelly said: "Katy is a funny cheeky girl who loves her family and friends more than anything. "I just love watching her laugh and joke with her sisters. "This is only a snippet of what Katy has endured through the last year and she is still smiling."
