A former Cathkin High School teacher, who won her brave battle against ovarian and breast cancer, was chosen to help launch last week’s World Cancer Day in Scotland.

Gran Margaret Duffy, of King’s Park, watched on with pride as the Scottish Power headquarters building, where her daughter Marise Nelson works, was lit up in pink and blue last Tuesday in support of all those with cancer and in memory of loved ones whose lives were claimed by the disease.

The illumination of the offices in Glasgow city centre for 24 hours for World Cancer Day marked the partnership between ScottishPower and Cancer Research UK.

Retired English teacher Margaret, 78, knows exactly how vital the power of research is to give families more tomorrows with their loved ones.

The grandmother of nine said: “Almost a miracle – that’s what it felt like when a scan showed that I was finally clear of ovarian cancer.

“The ovarian tumour had been 5cm in size when it was diagnosed and I had chemotherapy, surgery then – when the cancer came back twice – more chemotherapy.

“I have a wonderful family, kind and supportive friends, but it felt frightening.

“My love of life kept me going and it wasn’t until years later when I was told I had breast cancer that for the first time I actually thought that I might die from cancer.

“Now that I’m through cancer again, I feel like I’ve been given a second chance. It’s thanks to research I’m still here today.”

Margaret, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009, endured almost three years of treatment.

It was a shock in the summer of 2018 when she discovered a lump in her right breast.

After tests at the New Victoria hospital in Glasgow, Margaret was told she had breast cancer.

She had 10 sessions of chemotherapy treatment and was given the breast cancer drug Herceptin every three weeks.

Margaret’s treatment worked so well that by October last year after surgery to remove the flesh around where the tumour had been no remaining cancer cells were discovered.

The final step was 15 sessions of radiotherapy treatment which Margaret completed at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow only two weeks ago.

It was an unforgettable moment as she rang the bell at the centre to mark the end of treatment.

She was cheered on by her children, Frank Duffy, 55, Marise Nelson, 53, and Collette Gowing, 48.

And as a surprise, they even arranged for Margaret’s younger son, Neil Duffy, 51, to facetime the family live from Canberra, Australia where he now lives.

Margaret said: “It was a lovely, emotional surprise to have all my kids waiting for me when I came out of that final radiotherapy session.

“We have some special family times coming up and I’m off on holiday to France in a few weeks. I’m determined to make every second count.”

ScottishPower has raised over £25million for Cancer Research UK through a variety of initiatives and events including sponsorship of Race for Life, Stand Up To Cancer, employee and supplier fundraising, as well as creating bespoke, ‘Help Beat Cancer’ energy tariffs. Every hour, around four people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists helped establish the link between some breast cancers and certain proteins on the surface of cells that fuel their growth.

Their work was a crucial early step in the development of Herceptin which offers thousands of people a better chance of surviving.

In the UK, one in two people will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lifetime.

Andrew Ward, CEO UK retail at ScottishPower, said: “We were delighted to support World Cancer Day 2020 and Cancer Research UK is so close to our customers’ and employees’ hearts.

“In 2012 we began our partnership with the charity and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved in supporting their life-saving work.

“Over the years our employees have taken part in a wide range of fundraising activities including Race for Life events. To date, we’ve raised over £25m – and we’re not stopping there!”

Thanks to research, more people are surviving cancer than ever before.

Survival has doubled in the last 40 years in the UK and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.