A ride on the back of a Harley-Davidson was a “dream come true” for Dundee woman Carla Assenti.
The mother of two had a weekend to remember when she had access all areas to the Harley-Davidson in the City Motorcycle Festival in Brechin.
Carla, 53, is battling triple negative breast cancer and after surgery and chemotherapy is now facing radiotherapy which begins next month.
On Friday evening she and her sister Paula Assenti, from Friockheim, and her friend Linda Duirs from Dundee, attended a VIP reception at Brechin Castle.
The women had feared Carla, a freelance suicide prevention officer, would be unable to attend but she rallied in time for a ride on one of her dream machines.
Carla said: “On Monday I was in a wheelchair, the last dose of chemo hit me hard on Tuesday and on Wednesday I got a blood transfusion which made such a difference.
“I’ve always loved bikes and have always wanted to go on the back of a Harley-Davidson.
“I just thought, life’s too short.
“Triple negative breast cancer is not the best one to get and the next three years will be risky for me, but there are a lot of people a lot worse than me.”
Paula contacted Bill Sturrock, chairman of the HDITC, to try to make her sister’s dream come true.
The committee pulled out all the stops and Carla was left exhilarated after not one but two trips on the back of a Harley Tri-Glide trike, owned by Dave Scott from Brechin.
Dave met Carla at Brechin Castle on Friday and drove her along the sweeping drive before the couple met up again on Saturday in time for the Thunder Run through the city.
Carla said she had been overwhelmed by the kindness shown by everyone involved with the festival.
“The best ever!” – how an inspirational woman described her trip on a Harley-Davidson in #Brechin pic.twitter.com/jHC09QuQYW
— Janet Thomson (@C_JAThomson) July 15, 2018
She said: “Being on the back of the Harley-Davidson was exhilarating. The love and support from everyone has been overwhelming, I cannot underestimate what they have done for me. It has been a dream come true.”
Bill Sturrock, chairman of the HDITC, said the group was delighted to help.
He said: “Paula got in touch to say her sister had a wee dream to have a hurl on a Harley to make her feel alive.”
