A SCOTS teenager who is set to start his first job after beating cancer has been chosen to launch an inspiring new campaign aimed at saving lives.

When Taylor Kershaw was diagnosed with the devastating disease in the summer term of first year at secondary school his question to doctors was, ‘am I going to die?’

Today the youngster from Glasgow who celebrates his 16th birthday on September 8 is cancer free and counting the days before he starts as an apprentice technician with Arnold Clark.

And to mark Childhood cancer awareness month this September Taylor is proud to launch Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens, in partnership with TK Maxx.

Every year around 300 people aged under 25 are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.

Taylor, who benefited from a clinical trial supported by Cancer Research UK knows exactly how vital new breakthroughs and discoveries are to help more youngsters survive, so he’s calling on people across the nation to get involved.

Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens’ ongoing mission is to raise money to find cures and kinder treatments for cancers affecting children, teens and young adults.

Taylor said: “I blanked out a lot of the day I was told I had cancer.

“The doctor asked if I had any questions and I asked two.

"I asked, ‘Am I going to die? And ‘Am I going to lose my hair?

"From then on as long as I got told what was happening then I was fine but cancer made me grow up very quickly.

"I think it made me even more determined to make a success of my life.

"I’m so thankful for the treatment that saved my life, the research that made that treatment possible and thankful for the amazing family and friends who were there for me.”

Taylor was just 12 when diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma on June 8 2012.

His mum Michelle, 47, contacted the GP after a lump appeared on Taylor’s neck.

At first it was suspected he was suffering from mumps but when the lump didn’t go away, more tests including a biopsy were ordered.

It was a huge shock when doctors then explained that Taylor had cancer.

Hodgkin lymphoma affects the lymph nodes and lymphatic system, which are important in helping to fight infection.

Around 70 children are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma each year in Britain.** Cancer Research UK helped improve survival rates for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Now more than nine in 10 children are cured.***

Taylor endured surgery then three months of chemotherapy which left him feeling exhausted and sick. But he joined a clinical trial called EuroNet-PHL-C1 which looked at radiotherapy doses for patients, aiming to reduce long-term side effects. For Taylor it meant he went in to remission without having to go through radiotherapy. He is now clear of cancer and has regular hospital check ups.

His mum Michelle said: “Taylor was old enough to know what cancer could mean and that it was a harsh journey he was about to go on but I’m so proud of the way he’s handled everything.

“I’m proud of my son’s determination to get what he wants out of life.

"He’s passed all his exams at school.

"Now, he’s about to start an apprenticeship. I knew he could do it.”

But Taylor will never forget the time he spent at the Schiehallion unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

That’s why it was an emotional moment when this spring he reached the top of the 3,553 ft Schiehallion mountain in Perthshire with his family and planted a tree with an inspirational message attached on a tag. The wise words by civil rights figure Martin Luther King had kept Taylor going through treatment.

They said: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run then walk.

"If you can’t walk then crawl but whatever you do you have to keep walking forward.”

There are lots of different ways to get involved in Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens including making a donation or organising a fundraising event.

Supporters can also buy a gold ribbon pin badge – the awareness symbol for childhood cancers – available at most Cancer Research UK and TK Maxx stores across the UK.

TK Maxx is the largest corporate funder of research into childhood cancers in the UK and has been working in partnership with Cancer Research UK since 2004.

The brands-for-less retailer has raised more than £19.7 million for the charity with £15.7 million specifically supporting research in to children’s cancers.

The retailer’s flagship fundraiser for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens is Give Up Clothes for Good, which asks customers to drop off any bags of unwanted clothes, accessories and quality homeware at TK Maxx stores all year round to help beat childhood cancers sooner.

Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “Cancer has a devastating impact on children and teenagers, forcing them to show bravery beyond their years.

“Treatment can last for months, or even years, meaning long stays in hospital away from siblings and friends.

"Unfortunately, some children also have to face living with side-effects from their treatment which last long into adult life.

"With the public’s help we hope to double the amount we spend on childhood cancers in the next five to 10 years to ensure more children are able to lead happy and healthy lives.

“By boosting funding now, the best research teams could offer children and their families new hope by developing cures and kinder treatments.”

Cancer Research UK’s children’s cancer trials team co-ordinate groundbreaking trials in 21 centres across the UK and Ireland, including The Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and the new Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

These trials make innovative new treatments available to children with cancer in Scotland and across the UK. Research has helped to transform the outlook for children with cancer in the UK and now three quarters of under-15s are cured compared with a quarter in the late 1960s.

However, the disease remains the leading cause of death in young people in the UK, taking the lives of over 550 children each year.

To donate or fundraise for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens, visit cruk.org/kidsandteens

Side bar

Every year, around 300 people aged under 25 are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.

Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens, in partnership with TK Maxx, is funded entirely by the public and raises money for research into cancers affecting children, teens and young adults.

There are lots of different ways people across Scotland can support the campaign during Childhood cancer awareness month and help to save the lives of more youngsters by:

• Making a donation

• Organising a fundraising event - a free kit is available for inspiration and advice

• Supporting Give Up Clothes for Good by donating unwanted clothing and homeware at TK Maxx to be sold in Cancer Research UK’s shops

• Wearing a gold ribbon pin badge, available at most Cancer Research UK and TK Maxx stores.

To donate or fundraise for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens, visit cruk.org/kidsandteens