A MOTHER has paid a loving tribute to her ‘full of fun’ daughter who lost her battle with cervical cancer.

Sarah Glover, 36, found out she had secondary cancer, weeks after being given the all-clear.

But the mother-of-two stayed strong for her young sons, family and friends until she passed away a week ago at East Lancashire Hospice, days after going in for respite.

Her funeral was taking place at Pleasington Crematorium today with the family requesting no black clothing.

Her mother, Shirley Speakman said: “Sarah faced her illness with dignity and courage and she coped with everything so well.

“Even when she began to feel really ill, she was so strong for her two boys. They were her life.”

The day after Sarah died, her friend Louise Shackleton set up a justgiving page, hoping to raise £500 for the hospice. Within an hour it had raised more than £300 and the total now stands at more than £2,000.

Popular Sarah was first diagnosed last May but celebrated the all-clear in October.

Weeks later, she began suffering pains in her neck and back and received the second devastating news.

Born in Germany in May 1977, Sarah moved to Darwen with her two younger brothers after her mother got married to Ron Speakman and set up their child-minding business in Blackburn Road.

Sarah, mum to Toby, nine, and Jack, six, was a pupil at St Cuthbert’s Primary School before completing her education at Darwen Vale High.

She followed in her mother’s footsteps, working as a nursery nurse at Kittens Pre-school in Veronica Street.

Shirley said: “She loved children and was really good with little ones. I know that of all she was, she’ll be remembered as a brilliant mother because she really was. Just an absolutely wonderful mum.

“It was devastating to break the news to them but I wanted to do it myself.

“Jack is so young and doesn’t quite understand. He said: ‘So when will Mummy be back then? Two years? Three years?’ And I had to tell him that she wasn’t coming back.

“I was with her all the time, right until the end. I was holding her hand up until she died. We just really thought we’d have more time.”

After Sarah’s diagnosis, a group of friends drew up a rota so Sarah was never alone or missed medical appointments.

Louise said: “We’d been close friends for 10 years and I’m going to miss her so much.

“She was a fighter to the end. She was so positive.

“She was kind-hearted and would do anything for anyone and I think that the justgiving page shows how many people and hearts she touched.

“It’s nice to know that when it’s her birthday and I would usually buy her a present, I’ll be able to donate that money to charity, sort of like I’m still buying her a present.”