Fundraising target for terminally ill mum from West Lindsey raising money for her children smashed

Sam with one of her former students, Carly Young

Sam Pickersgill, 48, from Newton on Trent has terminal brain cancer and doctors sadly do not know how long she has left, but Sam wants to use the time she has left to give her children great memories to treasure.

Sam started a GoFundMe campaign, hoping to raise £1,000, but already more than £5,000 has been raised.

And on top of this, there have been offers from organisations and individuals to give Sam and her family a getaway holiday, as well as local equestrian centres offering Sam's horse-obsessed daughter, Hattie, riding lessons.

And St Barnabas Hospice, which has been supporting Sam, is also hoping to find an organisation that can help provide ten-year-old Dominic with a football experience.

Sam is a much-loved secondary school teacher, who has inspired thousands of people in her community through her work and many of the people who have donated on her GoFundMe or have offered support via social media remember her fondly from their school days.

Former student Carly Young shares some memories of having Sam as a teacher: “In 2017 I moved schools to attend the Priory Witham Academy, where Sam was my Head of Year. We bonded from the get-go and Sam made me believe in myself.

“I have so many great memories from school with Sam, my favourite has to be on sports day when I ran the 100m for my tutor group. Sam was at the finish line shouting my name and as I ran I just wanted to make her proud. For coming first place, Sam gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was of me.

“She even took time to write a reference for my university application, and bearing in mind it was the Christmas holidays she did it for me during her time off! I’m now going to be attending university to study mental health in September and that is all because of her showing me how to believe in myself.

“She wasn’t just my teacher, she saved my life and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. Sam, I’ll always look at the moon for you.”

To make a donation visit www.gofundme.com/f/give-my-children-something-to-look-forward-to.