By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
ANDREA Crawford was an inspiration to all the students she taught at Narre Warren South P-12 College.
The former year level co-ordinator, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago but kept teaching until the end of term one in 2014 before losing her battle with the disease shortly after.
In her honour the school’s VCAL students will walk from Narre Warren South P-12 College to Flinders Street Station next month to raise money for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA).
Assistant principal Rob Duncan, who will be accompanying the 20-odd students on the 48-kilometre walk for his first time, said Andrea’s passing had greatly affected both staff and students.
“She fought a brave fight and appeared to be recovering.
“But she had another scan and found something that seemed sinister in her hip.
“It was a secondary cancer that had spread to other parts of her body,” he said.
“It was traumatic for a lot of people – I guess it was just an incredible sense of loss for everybody. She was always full of life.
“Even when she was ill, she was always willing to pull her sleeves up.
“People developed this view of her that she was indestructible. When she passed away there was a sense of shock.
“The thing that will stay with me is that she was full of life until the very end.”
Last year a smaller group of VCAL students embarked on the walk to the city but Mr Duncan admitted that the bar had been raised even higher this year.
He said the group was hoping to raise $10,000 purely from the walk.
“This is a bigger group and the aim is to raise $10,000 for the breast cancer network in memory of Andrea,” Mr Duncan said.
“All of them had a connection with her.
“She was a wonderful teacher, and she’d only just turned 49 years old. This is an opportunity for us to remember her in positive light.
“It’s something she would have done herself, she a very giving person.”
The VCAL group is currently looking for sponsors to help in its fundraising efforts.
Contact the school on 9704 3333 for more information.
