A 21-YEAR-OLD woman who was only a child when her mum died of breast cancer dedicated her birthday celebration to raising funds to help beat the disease.

Courtney Reilly, of Green Lane, Brayton, near Selby, was 11 in 2001 when she lost her mum, Bev, who was 41.

On Saturday, 350 of Courtney’s family and friends were invited to her birthday party at the Abbey Leisure Centre in Selby, when she hoped to raise about £2,000 for breast cancer research from collection buckets.

Courtney, who said the fundraising night went really well, described her mum as an inspirational person. Bev was an award-winning nurse, and was given the nurse-of-the-year award by Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

She had a cancerous lump removed from her breast in 1994 and for the next five years she got on with her life, enjoying caravan holidays abroad and at home, as well as running a nursing agency, Elite Nursing Services, with her sister, Karen Wray.

Then in 1999 fate struck a second cruel blow when she complained that a gold chain would not sit properly on her neck.

It turned out to be another cancerous lump, which was removed, followed by more intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Cookridge Hospital in Leeds. Then in March 2000 she complained of severe pain in her ribs and a scan revealed six more tumours, from which she never recovered.

A member of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade in Selby, Bev was also a qualified midwife and occupational health worker.

Courtney said: “I was really pleased with the way the party went. I’ve still got to count the money up, but there was a really good turnout and everyone had a good time.”

In the new year, Courtney plans to fly out to Australia for a gap year, having studied for a criminology degree at Leeds Metropolitan University.