A BRAVE and determined young woman died from a brain tumour the day before friends held a fund-raising party in her name.

Today, the parents of Catherine Kearney, 24, told of how everyone was determined the event would go ahead.

And Eddie and Joan Kearney, of Spinning Avenue, Guide, said their daughter, who had battled for life for two and a half years, maintained her humour right to the end.

The money raised by the fancy dress party, at Sydney Street WMC, Accrington, will go towards Catherine's funeral and charity.

She died on Friday evening at East Lancashire Hospice just days after being awarded a medal for her work for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Joan, 51, said: "We are so proud. Despite her illness, she would do anything for anyone.

"She never let it get her down. She had a wicked sense of humour and even as she was going to sleep for the final time was making jokes."

Catherine's sister Gillian Barton, 28, said: "It has gone through all our minds why this happened to Catherine and our family but you never heard her saying anything like that.

"She just accepted it and got on with her life and I have learnt so much from her."

Mr Kearney, 56, an HGV driver, said: "I once asked her if she wondered why it had happened to her and she said if it hadn't happened to her it would only have happened to somebody else. She was such a positive person."

Catherine's tumour was found in 2003. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed and she launched Catherine's Crusaders, a charity which has raised £4,000 for the clinic which treated her at Royal Preston Hospital.

Her condition improved last year but on July 18 the former riding instructor received bad news. The tumour had advanced to the most aggressive and malignant grade and her condition gradually deteriorated.

Catherine's friend, Catherine Anderson, 23, said: "She never moped and through her charity work was always thinking of others. We decided to go ahead with the party because she was such a party girl. She would have wanted us to have fun."