Charity ball raises thousands for Candice's Foundation (From Wirral Globe)

Charity ball raises thousands for Candice's Foundation

12:00pm Saturday 20th October 2012 in News By Stephanie Cureton

THE memory of a young cancer victim helped raise thousands of pounds during a ball held in her honour.

Candice Colley, from Thingwall, passed away in December 2010 following her brave four-year battle with leukaemia.

But her death inspired her family and friends to join forces to create the Candice Colley Foundation to lend a financial hand to cancer sufferers across Wirral.

And last weekend a special ball held at Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa raised more than £11,000 for the cause.

Candice’s mum, Angela, said she was "overwhelmed" by the support and was not expecting to raise so much money.

She said: "It was a fantastic night and everyone we spoke to said what an enjoyable time they had.

"During the planning stages, I worked things out and estimated we would raise around £7,000 – I was secretly hoping for £10,000 but knew I had to be realistic!

"So to raise more than that was amazing and took me completely by surprise.

"The room looked lovely dressed in pinks and purples and it was especially poignant because a ball was the one thing that Candice definitely wanted to organise when she was better.

"She always talked about how she wanted to plan this big event and raise money so we have fulfilled that wish."

Candice was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2006 and had to undergo a string of gruelling treatments while she fought the disease.

But despite having a successful bone marrow transplant to save her life, the 23-year-old contracted an infection which she was unable to fight off.

The Candice Colley Foundation now aims to help the families of cancer sufferers with day-to-day costs such as tunnel fares and car parking charges.

And Angela said the ball was the perfect way to remember her "inspirational" daughter and that creating the Foundation has helped her deal with her death.

She said: "It was a very emotional night for everyone and I think seeing her face on the big banners which were put up really brought it home to us all why we were there.

"At the beginning of the night everyone was concerned with whether things were running smoothly and worrying about details but by the end, there were a few tears as everyone just relaxed and remembered Candice.

"Setting up the Foundation really gave me a purpose after Candice passed away because I had something positive to focus on and it is so easy to feel a sense of uselessness.

"To lose a child under circumstances is tragic but if you are able to create something worthwhile out of it all, you feel like you are doing it for them.”

For information about the charity, visit www.candicecolley.co.uk