ONE woman's dying wish to help others is today changing the lives of seriously ill people.

ONE woman's dying wish to help others is today changing the lives of seriously ill people.

Michelle Bown, 33, died in March after a year long battle with skin cancer but she was determined her loved ones would continue to fight for a cause close to her heart, even after her death.

Mrs Bown, from Rushmere St Andrew, left the message that she wanted them to support The Willow Foundation, a charity which provides fun days out for seriously ill people and which took her on a glamorous trip to London with her mum.

So her colleagues at Ipswich Hospital, where she worked as an operating department practitioner, organised two events, a film-themed fancy dress party on Friday and a family fun day with a five-a-side football tournament at Northgate Sports Centre yesterday.

The fancy dress party at St Clement's Sports and Social Club raised £3,400 thanks to an auction, generous donations and a sponsored headshave and yesterday's event further contributed to the efforts to help the cancer charity.

One of the organisers of the events, Romilly Norman, who dressed up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for the fancy dress party, said: “It's great to be able to do something. And we wanted to do something really different.

“She loved glamour and having her lipstick on when she went out so she'd have enjoyed the party.

“And The Willow Foundation is such a good cause. She had such a good time in January, she got to stay at the Ritz and watch a show and see all the sights.”

Miss Norman added: “We raised money for them at the funeral and that has already sent one girl to see Westlife and someone to the FA Cup final.”

After her death Mrs Bown was described as a “lively, outgoing character” who bravely fought her cancer without complaint.

The Willow Foundation helps provide a good quality of life for those with cancer.

Gail Noto who also organised the events and dressed as Sandy from Grease at the film party, said: “It is lovely to be able to do something for her and hopefully will we be able to do even more in the future.”

Weblink: www.willowfoundation.org.uk

For pictures from yesterday's family fun day held in memory of Michelle Bown see tomorrow's Evening Star.