VICKY Bettany was a battler who refused to give up, despite the hand life dealt her.

Born with cystic fibrosis, she was originally given only three years to live. She defied the odds to grow up into a bright, beautiful and feisty young woman.

Despite being in constant pain, she lived life to the full, even abseiling off Newcastle's Tyne Bridge at the age of 24 to raise £6,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

She treated her illness as a hindrance rather than a show-stopper, her proud brother Andrew said. "She didn't want to sit around moping all day. She wanted to enjoy life."

Sadly, Vicky died on Saturday, at the age of 31. Her life may have been brief, but it burned brightly. No one who knew her will ever forget her. She was an inspiration to us all.