Friends honour pal Matthew with Three Peaks Challenge

SPURRED on by their love for the friend who should have been with them, two teenagers have completed a gruelling three-peaks challenge in his memory.

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Matthew Adams died earlier this year from a cancer so rare it affects two in every one million people.

Just eight weeks before he died, the 18-year-old had been planning to raise money for cancer charities by climbing the highest peak in each of the UK mainland nations, alongside his friends from Kings Priory School in Tynemouth.

Tragically it wasn't to be as Matthew lost his two-and-a-half year battle with metastatic paraganglioma, a neuroendocrine condition, in May.

Inspired by his courage, Matthew's friends Max Whitelaw and Andrew Fairhurst have completed the challenge, and raised over £11,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust in his memory.

After the 18-year-old pair reached the top of Scotland's Ben Nevis, Matthew's mum has told of her pride at seeing her son’s life celebrated in the way he would have wanted.

Jane Hall said: "They have done it and are over the moon. It's been a very emotional time because it is something Matthew had been longing to do with them right up until the end.

"Obviously he never got a chance to do it, but I think he would have been there in spirit with them.

"There's great pride in what Matthew's friends have achieved in his name in climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales, but also terrible sadness that he wasn't with them on the biggest adventure and achievement of their young lives.

"As a family, we're so proud of all of you. Matthew, for all he continued to achieve through school, the Air Cadets, and in his day-to-day life despite the cruel hand he was dealt, and Max and Andrew for taking on such a tough challenge and being the most amazing and loyal friends."