Stars attend funeral of leukaemia victim

Quoted from: http://news.scotsman.com

FOOTBALL stars Ally McCoist and Alex McLeish were among hundreds of mourners who attended the funeral of courageous leukaemia victim Johanna MacVicar yesterday.
About 350 mourners attended the funeral of the 27-year-old from the Renfrewshire town of Bishopton who had battled the disease for 11 years.
During her high-profile campaign to raise funds for research into the illness, she attracted support from stars including singer Robbie Williams and actor Dougray Scott.
Dressed in bright colours, to reflect Johanna's zest for life, mourners of all ages filed into Paisley Abbey, near Glasgow.
They joined Johanna's parents Angela and Donnie and sisters Brodie, Gemma and Kendall for the moving ceremony, led by Rev Roy Flatt.
Before the service, Angela MacVicar said: "Our precious Jo has gone to take her rightful place with the angels. We know she will be the one with the biggest, softest wings.
"Johanna has achieved more in 27 years than anyone who lives to be 100. Please keep her memory and fighting spirit alive by continuous support."
Her close friend Lindsay McCallum spoke on behalf of the family during the service and sparked laughter and tears as she told of Johanna's love of shoes, angels and rainbows.
She told how Johanna was never one to "mince her words", even with celebrities, and said it was one of the main reasons she was so deeply loved.
She told of when Johanna met Robbie Williams backstage at a concert and began rummaging through his wardrobe. The straight-talker pulled out a stage catsuit, looked at him in disbelief and said: "Rob, you don't honestly wear this, do you?" and the pair dissolved in a fit of giggles.
Then a poignant poem entitled 'A Letter From Heaven', written by one of Johanna's close friends, Mary Low, was read to the congregation.
The family went on to a private service at the town's Woodside Crematorium.
Johanna was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia at the age of 16 and endured one failed bone marrow transplant.
Despite her illness, she campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of the disease and managed to fulfil her dream of travelling round the world.
She was also at the forefront of a campaign to encourage young men to become bone marrow donors and she recruited McCoist and McLeish.
McCoist, who met her while he played at Rangers and Kilmarnock, said:
"It was a real shock to hear that she had passed away because I always thought there would be a happy ending. She did so much good work to recruit more donors and that will be her legacy."
McLeish added: "I became close to Johanna and her family and I am deeply saddened to hear that she has gone."
It was in 2000 that she met Robbie Williams and quickly struck up a friendship with him, inspiring him also to become a donor.
She later met Dougray Scott while he was researching his role in the film Ripley's Game, in which he plays a man dying of leukaemia. She even stunned guests at the Scottish Film Awards in Glasgow by turning up on his arm as his guest.
Both Williams and Scott sent messages of support to the family after her death.