11:58am Friday 6th June 2008
By Haydn Lewis
STUDENTS at a York school have raised nearly £4,000 for charity to help remember their friend who died of cancer, at the age of 13.
Pupils in Year 9 at All Saints' RC School raised £3,925 as part of their sponsorship day with the proceeds to go to help research into Hodgkin Lymphoma which claimed the life of their classmate John Jallorina.
As The Press reported in February, John, of Danesfort Avenue, Acomb, York, had been battling Hodgkin Lymphoma, otherwise known as Hodgkin's Disease, for 18 months before his death.
He had received treatment for his illness firstly at York Hospital and then at St James's University Hospital, Leeds.
Although it is widely recognised as one of the most curable forms of cancer, John lost his fight against the disease on February 3 and his funeral was attended by about 70 of his classmates from All Saints'.
As well as fundraising, Year 9 pupils have been busy organising a celebration of John's life, which will be held in the school hall on Monday, June 16. In addition the children have been coming up with their own ideas of how to remember John, by way of a more permanent memorial at school.
John's parents, Gloria and Mamerlito Jallorina, and their 11-year-old daughter, Geneve, have been invited to the service and are being consulted about the content.
Head of Year 9, Chris Nichols, who taught John, said: "There are only about 160 pupils in the year and they have put in a stunning performance to raise nearly £4,000.
"I remember John well and he was just a fantastic young man.
"He had such energy to him, he was just so friendly and open, everybody loved him.
"He was so welcoming and just so strong throughout his illness. His main drive was to come into school and see his friends."
As well as playing rugby at school, one of John's favourite things were his pets; his dog, Ella, and in particular, his collection of 17 tarantula spiders.
One of the ideas being mooted is to buy a tarantula for the school and to have a John Jallorina rugby cup.
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