WHEN 19-year-old Matt Gilbert died from testicular cancer last year, it left his parents devastated.

It caught everyone by surprise and its “aggressive’’ development left the former Burford School pupil with little time to do everything he wanted in life.

Now his mother Sharon wants to spread the word of how youngsters can be affected by cancer by driving in a “banger’’ from Land's End to John O’Groats with two friends and just £60 between them.

On Monday, Mrs Gilbert, 48, took time outof her challenge to stop by her son’s old school and spoke to teachers who had fond memories of him.

She said: “It was quite touching to be back at Burford School because that’s where Matt went and a lot of the teachers remembered him.

“Throughout his treatment he kept in touch with friends there and he had good memories from his time at the school.

“Fortunately cancer is rare in young adults but that’s part of the problem, because for young people it’s not diagnosed quickly enough so I wanted to raise awareness.”

Matt, who also went to Shrivenham Primary School, lived in Faringdon for 10 years before moving with his family, also including civil servant father Tim, 49, and sister Hannah, to Devon in 2008.

He was diagnosed with the condition in October 2012 after complaining of a stomach bug, but with no lumps on either testicle.

Matt underwent six months of chemotherapy, losing his hair, but found out the following May the treatment had not worked.

He was given up to 12 months to live, but died on July 25 last year.

Before that he created a bucket list of 27 things he wanted to achieve, including visiting Stonehenge and London’s Natural History Museum, and eating lobster.

The aspiring writer also had his poetry published alongside other writers in The Gilbert Collection, named after him, through the Society of Young Publishers.

Copies were sold for £5 each, raising almost £10,000 for the Institute of Cancer Research’s Everyman appeal.

But he did not have time to achieve other dreams of whale watching in Scotland and a trip to Elland Road to watch his favourite team Leeds United FC.

Mrs Gilbert said: “Matt was an amazing young man.

“It’s just devastating. Matt was so strong and brave.

“It was lovely he could see his book before he died and he was absolutely overwhelmed.”

Mrs Gilbert, a health care assistant, set off last Sunday from Land's End in a 2002 Peugeot 206 decorated with Matt's picture on four doors.

They travelled 874 miles to John O’Groats, finishing on Wednesday, so far raising £1,500 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

  • To sponsor Mrs Gilbert, visit justgiving.com/sharon-gilbert1.