Exam joy for Glasgow teenager who lost arm to cancer

Skye Duncan completed lessons online from her hospital bed as she recovered from surgery and chemotherapy.

The inspirational 18-year-old discovered she had achieved excellent results (an A and four Bs) in her Highers on Tuesday.

First to celebrate with her was twin sister Sara, who also got the grades she needed to go to Glasgow University, where she hopes to specialise in neuroscience.

Skye, right, with twin sister Sara (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

“I am proud of myself,” said Skye. “I’m usually very confident but going through this did knock my confidence a bit. So I’m really pleased I got here.”

Five years ago, Skye complained to parents Ann and Steven that she had a sore arm.

“It didn’t go away, and we went back and forwards with the doctors, trying to find out what was causing it,” explains Ann, a support worker for a homeless service. “Eventually, she had an x-ray, and they discovered it was bone cancer.

“They amputated her arm within a few weeks and then she had months of chemotherapy. But through it all, Skye was so driven, it was unbelievable.”

Ann adds: “Sara is amazing, she has also worked so hard. She missed a lot of school too, and she was always there for her sister.”

Skye with her exam results. She is now off to study law at Glasgow University (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

Skye’s success is all the more impressive because in March, just as she was preparing for the exams, she was told the cancer had returned.

“I had a sore back, and they discovered it was a collapsed lung, but actually that was really lucky,” she says, surprisingly. “If I hadn’t had that, they wouldn’t have discovered the cancer was in my right lung. It was kind of a miracle.”

Skye is in the middle of radiotherapy treatment but she was determined to share her story with the Glasgow Times, to pay tribute to her “outstanding” teachers at Eastbank Academy.

“Mr Miller, who is the depute head, and my pastoral care teacher Miss McAulay, and principal teacher Miss Turner were absolutely amazing, I wouldn’t have got here without them,” she says.

“In fourth year, when Covid was happening as well, I just couldn’t get to school,” she says. “I thought my education was over at that point. It hit my confidence. But I kept going and when I got two National 5s in fourth year, I was really proud and realised my education was definitely not finished.”

Skye hopes eventually to study international law.

Skye, second from right, with (left to right) her aunt Katy, sister Sara, headteacher Jonathan Graham and mum Ann (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

“I have always wanted to do law, I don’t know why really - my red-headed genes?” she laughs. Sara chips in, helpfully: “And you’re really argumentative....”

Skye laughs. “I want to do a bit for the world,” she says, slowly. “And law seems like the way to do that.”

Her mum adds: “It has been brutal, what’s happened to Skye, it is so cruel. She has lost about three years of school. But she is so dedicated and hardworking, she deserves this. I’m really proud of her.”

Headteacher Jonathan Graham said: “When we were coming up with our school values, we asked pupils what they should mean, and they said ‘to be the best we can be, to work hard and to aim for the stars.’

“Looking at Skye and Sara, that is very fitting. We are all incredibly proud of them both.”

*Share your exam success stories with the Glasgow Times - we would love to hear from you. Email ann.fotheringham@glasgowtimes.co.uk