Dream becomes reality for tragic fan

Jun 1 2007 By Anna Jeys, Birmingham Mail

A STAUNCH Villa fan whose dying wish was to raise money for cancer research has had his dream realised thanks to donations from family and friends.

Andy Kitson, from Great Barr, died on March 6 after a ten-month battle against lung cancer.

The 35-year-old engineer was so dedicated to Aston Villa that his funeral stopped off outside the ground before reaching his final resting place at Witton Cemetery.

He was diagnosed with a tumour last May and underwent numerous operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments before dying at the John Taylor Hospice, Erdington, in girlfriend Tracey's arms.

Tracey, a 33-year-old recruitment manager, said Andy was adamant that donations be given at his funeral for research into the illness.

The family have now counted the cash and handed over more than £1,700 to the British Lung Foundation.

Tracey, who lives in Great Barr, said: "We were pleased with the money that was donated from family and friends.

"We had more than 250 people at the funeral and people were just handing over £20 notes.

"It was really important to Andy to give money to the lung cancer charity and he wanted it to go to research."