Friends pay tribute to brave Bonnie

10:43am Thursday 17th July 2008

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A COURAGEOUS young woman has died following a long fight with cancer.

Primary school teacher and keen dancer Bonnie Wilson, 23, died last weekend, just a few days before a dance production, which was planned to raise money for a charity that had helped her.

It was hoped that Bonnie would have been able to attend the production by Florian School of Dance, but the school's principal, Annette Fitzgerald, said the show would instead be a "wonderful celebration" in her memory.

Miss Fitzgerald has also set up the Bonnie Wilson Award for outstanding contribution to the school, of which Bonnie is the first recipient.

Bonnie, from Hyde, who was featured in last week's Chronicle, was keen on dance all her life, and a long-time member of the Florian School of Dance, where she continued to help out until two weeks before her death.

Along with her artistic talents, Bonnie was intellectually- gifted, sweeping through every exam at St Swithun's School and Peter Symonds College, with As' in every subject. She went on to gain a degree in English Language at Roehampton University.

Bonnie, daughter of Eben and Jill Wilson, returned to Winchester last September to complete a Post Graduate Certificate of Education and was appointed as a Year One and Two teacher at Fair Oak Infant School.

She was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Familial adenomatous polyposis, which often leads to cancer.

It can be treated if found early through surgery, however, young people's cancers are notoriously difficult to catch early, and Bonnie was not diagnosed until she had developed tumours in her bowel that quickly spread to her liver.

She underwent an operation and chemotherapy, which slowed the disease.

Her family said that she remained positive, cheerful and brave throughout, and that she "shone with genuine cheerfulness" while living with the illness.

On June 1 she took part in Race for Life and raised more than £3,000 for Cancer Research UK - completing the event herself with a troupe of other dancing friends.

Recently, Bonnie's cancer accelerated and a few weeks ago it was agreed with her physician that further treatment would not help.

She died peacefully at Countess Mountbatten Hospice in Southampton, last Sunday.

A funeral service will be held next Thursday (July 24), at the United Church in Jewry Street, Winchester, at 2.30pm. The family has requested no flowers, but donations to Countess Mountbatten Hospice.

Florian School of Dance's show, Feel Like Dancin', will feature a contemporary piece dedicated entirely to Bonnie, and will raise money for children's cancer charity, CLIC Sargent, at the show at The Point, Eastleigh, from tomorrow (Friday) to Sunday, July 20.

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