Precious time with daughter inspires children's charity

MUM SETS UP HOLLY'S HEROES TO HELP SICK KIDS

- By LAUREN COLE-LOMAS

THE heartbroken mother of a teenage girl who died from cancer says she wants to use a charity set up in her daughter's name to help as many poorly children as possible.

One moment, Emma West's daughter Holly was a normal girl, the next her world had fallen apart.

Holly was only 12 when she was diagnosed with an "extremely aggressive" form of cancer. She died in October, aged just 14.

Emma said: “You think it’s never going to happen to you.”

Holly presented with very few symptoms, Emma said, mainly complaining of shoulder pain which lasted a couple of weeks.

After discovering a lump in her pelvis, Emma rushed Holly to St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, where tests revealed Holly had a rare type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma that attacks soft tissue and skeletal muscles, and it was everywhere.

Holly was referred to the Royal Marsden Hospital, where Emma pleaded with doctors to tell her how much longer they thought she would have with her little girl.

Despite devastating news, Holly was a candidate for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which bought the family precious time with her.