Last updated at 13:13, Friday, 14 December 2012

The family of a Workington baby who died from a rare brain tumour have pledged to set up a charity to keep her memory alive.

Memories: Chloe Dunn, centre, hopes to set up a charity in memory of her baby daughter, Ruth Mae Mills, who died last year. She is being supported by her family including brothers Andrew Dunn, left, and Joseph Dunn

Ten-month-old Ruth Mae Mills died in April last year, 24 hours after being diagnosed with the rhabdoid tumour.

Mum Chloe Dunn and other family members have now set up Ruth Mae’s Trust Fund.

It is the first step towards founding her own charity.

The family need to raise £5,000 to form a registered charity.

Chloe, of Newlands Gardens, said: “I want to make something good come out of something bad.”

All money raised by the charity will go to the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at Newcastle University, which has a dedicated programme of research into rhabdoid tumours.

The tumours are rare, with only around 10 cases in the UK each year but are among the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of childhood cancer.

Chloe said: “Because it’s such a rare form of cancer it doesn’t get much funding but it’s one of the deadliest types of childhood cancer.

“The doctor Ruth had in Newcastle works within this research.

“I decided I wanted to put a charity together in Ruth’s memory to raise money for research into that form of cancer.”

Ruth was a seemingly healthy baby but she began suffering seizures and was put on medication.

On April 1, however, she started being sick and two days later she was taken to the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, where she was diagnosed with the brain tumour.

Soon afterwards the family was told there was nothing more the hospital could do.

Chloe now has a four-month-old son, Isaac, who she said kept her going.

About £600 has been raised so far and Chloe’s brother Joseph is organising a charity music night tomorrow at the Union Jack Club in Senhouse Street, helped by other brother Andrew. It will be hosted by the brothers’ band Last Calls supported by Beggars Bullet, Blind Fiction, Stormcrowe and The Muff Wigs who have all donated their time for free.

Chloe’s uncle Gordon Douglas, of Workington, is planning to cycle from John of Groat’s to Land’s End next year and Ruth’s grandmother Donna Mills is arranging a fashion show in Birmingham.

Doors open for the music night at 7pm with the first band starting at 8pm. Entry is £2.

First published at 10:34, Friday, 14 December 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk