CARMELINA Robertson died last year after a heartbreaking four and a half year battle against breast cancer - but her sister Maria Stansfield is determined that her death will not have been in vain.

She has launched a campaign to raise money to help find a cure for the disease and has organised a celebrity charity dinner and dance for 350 people to remember her sister and raise funds for the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Carmelina - Carm to her friends - was originally from Burnley and was a pupil at St Hilda's RC High School. She moved to Scotland after marrying former Burnley footballer Stuart Robertson.

Comedian Ted Robbins, Frank "Foo Foo" Lamarr, Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson, actress Sue Johnston and radio personality Susie Mathis are all backing the star-studded event at the Dunkenhalgh, Clayton-le-Moors, on January 30.

There will be an auction, a raffle, music by top local band Souled as Seen and a disco, but despite all the fun, Maria doesn't want anybody to forget the real reason why she has organised the event.

Maria, of Waingate Road, Rawtenstall, said: "Breast cancer affects one in 12 women at some time in their lives, and lots of women die from it. Carm was just 34 when she was diagnosed with the disease and 38 when she died.

"Even though she lived in Scotland, I felt as if I held her hand every day while she was ill. "My family in Burnley and Rawtenstall had a distance of 200 miles between us and Carm while she was ill, and it was so hard. I want to help raise money to try to prevent this dreadful disease or to find a cure so other families don't have to go through this suffering."

Stuart is now bringing up the couple's daughters Emma, 11, and seven-year-old Katie, with help from the their family.

Maria said: "I'm doing this fund-raising for Emma and Katie as this disease may be genetic. My other sister Graziella has had the test to see if she is vulnerable to the disease, but she is OK.

"I haven't had the test as I don't want to tempt fate, but who knows what the future holds for Carm's children? This is why we want to do as much as we can to help fund research into breast cancer."

Collectors for Breakthrough Breast Cancer will be outside Ewood Park on January 30 before Blackburn Rovers' game against Spurs.

Anybody who wants to donate money or offer raffle and auction prizes can contact 01706 870300.

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