A CANCER patient is refusing to give up on life and is walking 10,000 steps a day during his radiotherapy to raise funds for vital cancer research.

Matthew Pullan, aged 18, has lived with ependymoma, a form of cancer affecting cells in the brain and spinal cord, which spreads throughout the body over a long period.

Fourteen years on Matthew, from Bury, was found to have a brain tumour, which doctors were able to remove 99.9 per cent of, leaving a small part which spread to his spine.

Now Matthew has begun a 10,000 daily steps regime and will continue until the end of his four-week radiotherapy course, to raise a goal of £1,000 for cancer charity, Move, while also waiting for his A-level results in history and English from Hazel Wood High School.

Radiotherapy is a form of cancer treatment in which a laser is used to kill malignant cells in the body, but can cause side effects including tiredness, sickness, stiffness, diarrhoea and hair loss.

He said: “I will keep going and I will do this to support a charity that supported me and continues to do so, and supports many people both mentally and physically.

“I am very lucky I can have this radiotherapy, which could be lifesaving. If I can raise this money and achieve my goal it would be amazing, this charity deserves it for all the support they have given to me and others.”

A keen runner for Radcliffe Athletics Club, he added: “It also means I can keep active and stay in decent shape and keep living life as I want to for as long as possible, which will be important to my mental and physical health.”

Helen Murray, a cancer rehabilitation specialist from Move, said: “His attitude is just incredible. He is so passionate about raising awareness both of brain tumours and of staying active too, following a cancer diagnosis.

Alex Pullan, Matthew’s twin, who has done his own fundraising for cancer charities via sponsored runs, added: “I’m really proud of what he’s doing.”