THIS weekend marks the first anniversary of when 16-year-old Chloe Oldfield tragically lost her three-year battle with a rare form of liver cancer.

The Barnoldswick teenager had been diagnosed with hepatacellular carcinoma in 2007 and had endured chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a liver transplant.

Doctors later gave her just six months to live but she bravely battled on for 18 months.

In the year since her death, her distraught mother Catherine has taken part in Shine Manchester, a half marathon night time walk and the Race for Life 5km run in Skipton, helping raise more than £6,000.

With her husband Philip and 15-year-old son Henry, she has set up Chloe’s Chosen Charities which has raised an additional £6,000 for Barnoldswick and Earby Bosom Friends and Barnoldswick Local Charity Support Group.

This year Catherine, 44, who is general manager at Rolls Royce leisure association, is taking part in the 10km Bupa Great Manchester Run in the hope of raising more funds and awareness.

She said: “I think Chloe would be proud of me for taking part in these events, I don’t think I would have been able to do them before.

“She said that she didn’t want us to just mope around after she died; she wanted us to help others.

“Hopefully I am doing my bit in helping people like Chloe in the future.”

Chloe was diagnosed with liver cancer in March 2007 and had three months of chemotherapy at Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Towards the end of her treatment Chloe began to suffer from liver failure and was referred to St James Hospital in Leeds where she underwent a liver transplant.

She made a good recovery and returned to school but, whilst studying for exams, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and scans revealed shadows on her lungs.

The Skipton High School student continued to undergo treatment but the cancer spread, and on February 13 last year she lost her fight.

Catherine said: “It was a tremendous shock when Chloe was diagnosed. I had never heard of a 13-year-old having liver cancer.

“Apparently it is very rare. There are only about two cases diagnosed every year in children. But we coped because she coped. She never gave in – even at the end she was still fighting.”

Before Chloe died her friends decided to sign up for last April’s charity walk Shine in Manchester.

“She was really touched,” said Catherine. “It was something Chloe also really wanted to do, had she been well enough for us to push her around in a wheel chair, but sadly that wasn’t to be.

“We decided to carry on with the walk after she died and got a group of 12 family and friends together.

“It was a perfect memorial to Chloe – there was a really good fun atmosphere but it was also very emotional.

“We felt it was appropriate that it was held at night as Chloe was our star, and the stars came out that night.

“Before Chloe was diagnosed she sat me down one evening and said she wanted to take part in Race for Life.

“She was very keen that we would help raise money for cancer patients and I wanted to continue with that.

“This month it will be a year since we lost Chloe. We all love and miss her dearly, and not a day goes by that we don’t think of her.”

STEP TO IT TOO

  • Pendleside Hospice Midnight Walk, Burnley, Saturday, July 2. To register visit www.pendle side.org.uk/Midnight-Walk-Registration
  • East Lancashire Hospice Starlight Walk, Blackburn, Saturday, June 18. To register visit www.elh.org. uk/index.php?id=107
  • Shine, Manchester, Sunday, May 1. To register visit www.shine.cancer researchuk.org/events/manchester
  • Race for Life, Blackburn, Wednesday, June 8. Visit http://raceforlife.org/about-us.aspx
  • Race for Life, Burnley, Sunday, May 15. Visit http: //race forlife.org/about-us.aspx