Aunt helps raise £20k in memory of teenage niece

A medical secretary has helped raise £20,000 in memory of her niece who died from cancer when she was 18.

Sarah Doherty, who works at Hinchgbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, walked 24-miles (38km) across 21 bridges to raise funds for the charity Young Lives vs Cancer.

Her niece Abi Quinlisk died at the same hospital in September, within hours of being told she had acute myeloid leukaemia.

Ms Doherty, from Great Stukeley, Cambridgeshire, was joined by Ms Quinlisk's friends and family members, including her parents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

"Around 137 of us completed the walk and collectively we raised £20,000 from various fundraising pages," Ms Doherty said.

"It was a great day, with so many people to talk to along the way it didn't feel like 24 miles - we all had the determination to finish for our girl."

The London event was part of a long-running fundraising programme for the charity, which helps children and young people aged up to 25, as well as their families.

Ms Quinlisk's uncle, Paul Jenner, has been supporting one of its main fundraising events for years, a cycle ride from England to Ireland.

This year the ride will be called Abi's Tour.

Ms Doherty said her niece's diagnosis "was totally out of the blue - we didn't know she had this illness until a few hours before she passed away".

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