Isla Tansey: Painted stone record attempt in girl's memory

The family of a seven-year-old girl who died from spinal cancer are hoping to break a world record based on her love of painted stones.

Before her death last year, Isla Tansey, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, inspired people around the world to decorate and hide stones.

Her family now want to set a new record for the most painted stones in a single display.

The attempt will take place at a family fun day in her memory later.

Isla woke up unable to walk in April 2017. She was diagnosed with incurable cancer and died in July last year.

Her love of painted stones prompted the #islastones appeal, in which she encouraged people to paint and hide stones for others to find and take a selfie with.

It received a huge response with stones bearing her name found across the world and selfies shared online.

The family fun day in her memory, named A Celebration of Smiles, is taking place at Argents Mead in Hinckley.

"With the family event, we just wanted to put a positive on such a horrible situation of losing her," mum Katherine Tansey said.

"Three weeks ago when we were planning it, my sister said 'why don't we do a world record attempt?' so I put an application in and everyone's been really busy painting stones ever since.

"It's another way to keep raising awareness of childhood cancer and Isla's story."

Guinness World Records said the number to beat was 1,150 but Mrs Tansey said they were aiming to collect 4,000 stones to beat a recent record attempt in Surrey that had yet to be verified.

Money from the event will go towards an ongoing appeal to raise £73,000 for a two-year research post at the Institute of Cancer Research investigating childhood cancer.

She said: "I don't think we'll ever stop fundraising. It's a positive thing and gives us something to focus on."

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