A GRATEFUL Port Glasgow family are following in their late father’s footsteps to thank the hospice for the care they provided for him.

The Donnachie family and scores of relatives and friends will walk from Port Glasgow to Celtic Park on April 8.

They will retrace the route head of the family Joe, pictured, took more than 30 years ago to raise funds for a brain scanner for the former Yorkhill Children’s Hospital.

His widow Agnes, 60, of Marloch Avenue, said: “The staff at the hospice were wonderful. They were great with Joe and a great support for all the family.”

The 22-mile walk entitled ‘I’d Walk A Million Miles’ will be a proper family affair with Agnes, sons Joseph, 38, and Brendan, 36, and daughters, Gillian Hutton, 39, and Claire McFadden, 33, all taking part.

They will be joined by grandchildren, 10-year-old Leo and four-year-old Anna Donnachie, one-year-old Jude Hutton and Zara McFadden, who is eleven months.

The kids will be in their buggies to make the team 80-strong on the day.

Joe, a painter and decorator, also did other fundraisers at the time including a walk to Ibrox, a parachute jump and a marathon for Yorkhill.

Agnes paid tribute to him, saying: “He was quite charismatic, full of fun and he was a real family man.”

Joe, 60, sadly passed away at the hospice in December after losing his fight with pancreatic cancer.

He fell ill last January and spent eight months in Glasgow Royal Infirmary, but tests failed to diagnose what was wrong.

Agnes, an ASN auxiliary at Blairmore Nursery, said: “It was a difficult time and quite intense as we were getting calls through the night.”

His son Brendan, who is also a painter and decorator to trade, said: “The doctors couldn’t confirm it was cancer at first and when it was diagnosed it was too late.”

Brendan said other forms of cancer get more publicity and the family hope the walk will help put the condition in the spotlight.

He said: “We hope to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer as it’s one of the deadliest. It’s aptly called the silent killer.”

Sadly Joe was only diagnosed three weeks before he died and spent his final days in the hospice, surrounded by his loving family.

Agnes said: “We want to thank the hospice for all of their help as nothing was too much of a problem. It was a home from home.”

It allowed the family to spend cherished time with Joe, which made his passing easier to bear.

Brendan said: “It was a terrible week but a great week at the same time.”

Gillian, a health care assistant at Accord Hospice in Paisley, said: “We never thought in a million years that the hospice would have been something we would have used. If you had told us that a year ago we wouldn’t have believed you.

“It was hard for me working in a hospice, then being on the other side of it.”

Dental nurse Claire said: “All of us got to spend quality time with my dad. Two of us always stayed the night with him. We didn’t want to leave him.

“We were all there when he passed away. He was such a fighter right to the end.”

The group will leave Woodhall Terrace at 6.30am on the day and will stop at Renfrew, where they will be joined by other walkers.

Joseph, a scaffolding supervisor, said: “The family would like to thank all those who have donated, offered to help and signed up for the walk so far.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity and level of interest shown.”

Anyone who wants to make a donation can visit www.justgiving.com/idwalkamillionmiles