A YOUNG child's memory is set to live on after a new breed of rose was created as a lasting tribute to her.Indianna Perry, a former pupil at Rose Hill Primary School, was just five when she died from brain cancer three years ago.

A YOUNG child's memory is set to live on after a new breed of rose was created as a lasting tribute to her.

Indianna Perry, a former pupil at Rose Hill Primary School, was just five when she died from brain cancer three years ago.

Flower experts have now bred the Indianna Mae rose, which has a lilac pink colour, after Indianna's family raised thousands of pounds to fund the new variety being produced.

Indianna's mother, 36-year-old Katharine Raffill, said the new rose, which was launched this week at the Hampton Court Flower Show with the help of TV celebrity Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, is the perfect way to remember her daughter.

The rose is available to buy on the internet and ten per cent of the income will go to the charity Ali's Dream which funds research into childhood tumours.

Ms Raffill said: “The rose is a lasting memory because everybody that knew Indianna will buy the rose and have it forever more.

“As it is her favourite colour it will be a constant reminder of her.

“It also benefits other families and children that may suffer from brain tumours.”

She added that the launch of the rose had been well-received and was pleased to get the backing of television personality Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen.

Mr Llewellyn-Bowen said: “My wife and I thought it was very touching and a very positive thing to come out of such a terrible story.

“The family don't attempt to brush the grief under the carpet. They have a practical attitude of getting on with things and saying 'this is something that we should confront'.

“Katherine told me she still finds herself talking to Indianna Mae but now she can talk to the rose, which I thought was just lovely.

“She has planted the rose in all the places Indianna Mae had a lot of time for, which gives the feeling her personality is still there.

“It's a beautiful rose.”

Around £3,000 was raised to pay for the rose to be bred.

Much of the money was raised by Ms Raffill's mother, 60-year-old Sandra Gold-Wood, who put on a series of pantomimes in her home county of Cumbria.

As well as the rose, a plaque was fixed to the wall of a play area at Rose Hill Primary School back in 2005.

The plaque reads: “In memory of Indianna Mae Perry who loved school, reading and writing but most of all playing with her friends.

“Who tragically lost her fight against cancer during her first year at Rose Hill Primary School. Every day missed but never forgotten.”

Indianna's rose can be purchased from www.classicroses.co.uk.

Have you gone to great lengths to pay tribute to a loved-one? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

History of the rose:

n>The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus.

n>In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret - derived from this ancient Roman practice.

n>Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.

n>Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.

Source: Wikipedia