THE daughters of a woman who lost a courageous battle against an aggressive form of cancer will perform the switch-on during this year's Wirral Hospice St John's Light Up A Life ceremony.

Susan Saul, from Pensby, was diagnosed in 2010 and given just six months to live.

She died peacefully in October last year surrounded by family, aged just 41.

Her daughters Seren, 11, and Estelle, 7, will switch on an estimated 10,000 lights during the ceremony - now in its 19th year - in the hospice garden on Sunday, December 7, which starts at 5.30pm.

Each of the lights will have been sponsored by Globe readers in memory of a loved one. The names of those remembered will feature in books of honour that will be on display in the hospice chapel.

Last year's campaign raised around £100,000 for hospice running costs.

In a letter sent to hospice supporters for this year's appeal, Susan's husband Marcus said: "Seren and Estelle are very proud to be switching on the lights this year for Wirral Hospice and they will also be lighting their own light in memory of their mum.

“Please support the work of the hospice and remember someone special to you this year.

“I can’t convey in words the extent to which this loss has impacted on us all, as with anyone who has lost a loved one.

“I am, however, comforted in knowing that Susan’s death was peaceful, surrounded by her family and cared for by the hospice staff.”

A Facebook campaign Save Our Sue was launched in 2011 led by husband Marcus. It aimed to raise £45,000 for the treatment not available in this country but which could have saved, or prolonged, her life.

The treatment, chemo embolisation, involved injecting anti-cancer drugs directly into the blood vessel and was pioneered by German professor Thomas Vogl.

A series of fundraising events was organised to raise funds, including benefit nights, sponsored walks, and parachute jumps.

In a funeral message written just weeks before her death Susan thanked friends and family for their support over the years.

She said: "I want to express a real deep heart-felt gratitude for the amount of effort that was fuelled by love and concern to help me to live my life as long as possible and enable me to be as good a mother as I could and see my girls grow.

"The effort from you that was all fuelled by the hope that there would be a cure for me.

"Because of all the support I was given for a precious year and a half in which I was able to raise and get to know my daughters.

"In that time I was able to have precious, special fun times with them and the funding enabled that.

"The love from the fundraising that everyone did and continued to do really filled my heart with hope and I'm eternally grateful for that."

Hayley Gough, fundraising events manager for the hospice told the Globe: "It's 19 years since Wirral Hospice had its first Light Up A Life event, inviting our supporters to sponsor a light in the name of someone they love, which would shine out across Wirral over Christmas time.

"At this time we had just a few lights, but as the years have gone by we have had more people dedicate lights. We now have almost 10,000 lights that shine in memory."

To support this year’s appeal, call 0151 343 0778 or visit www.wirralhospice.org/light