Family fun day in memory of Abigail

HEARTBREAKING . . . Abigail Dodd was just three when she died

A LITTLE girl who died from a brain tumour is still helping to raise money for charity 14 years after her death.

Abigail Dodd, from Royton, died aged three in October, 2002, after a year-long battle with cancer. She would have been 18 next month.

To mark the occasion, her mum, Donna Dodd, will host a family fun day at Tara Leisure in Shaw from 1-6pm on Sunday.

As part of her treatment, little Abigail had two operations to remove tumours from her brain as well as undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Proceeds from the day ­- which will include candy carts, an auction, tombola and kids' Zumba ­- will go towards the Reuben's Retreat charity.

Reuben's Retreat is raising money to provide a retreat in the North-West that aims to support families who have suffered the bereavement of a child or have a child suffering from a life-threatening illness.

The charity already owns the empty Woods Hospital in Glossop and is now raising funds to carry out renovations.

Donna said: "Because she was three we are having a family fun day.

"My mum and I did a lot of charity fundraising and it was one of the hardest things we could do.

"There was nothing at all at the time for us like Reuben's Retreat.

"They offer a lot of support and they do a lot of holistic healing as well.

"They also have groups families can join.

"If we had had something like this when Abigail was poorly it would have taken the burden off."

Rainbow

Previously, after Abigail's passing, Donna and her family have raised thousands of pounds for Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and the last picture Abigail had drawn, of a rainbow, was used on the Christmas card of children's cancer charity KIDSCAN in 2005.

Tickets for the fun day are £5 for adults and free entry for children.