A YOUNG woman who loved Dorset will be at the forefront of Sally Carter’s mind when she completes her fourth Race for Life on Sunday.

Sally’s niece Charlotte Collins died in April 2008 aged 23 from ovarian cancer.

Now mum-of-four Sally, 34, of Weymouth, wants to raise £200 in honour of the young animal lover.

She said: “Charlotte was 20 when she was diagnosed with cancer.

“She had a stomach ache and collapsed and the doctors found that she had a cyst which was malignant.

“Charlotte fought it for two years and had two lots of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and two operations.

“Then the doctors said in December 2007 that she had six months left.”

One of the last trips Hemel Hempstead resident Charlotte took before she died was to Dorset.

Sally said: “She stayed with my mum and dad in Bridport and loved Monkey World and the Sea Life Centre.

“Charlotte loved it down here.

“Her mum Sandra wants to move down here and bring her ashes one day.”

Care assistant Sally will proudly don a T-shirt with a photo of her niece on it for the Kingston Maurward race.

“Towards the end Charlotte was very scared and was saying ‘sorry’ to her mum,” said Sally. “She wanted her cancer to go away but it wasn’t going to. But she did what she wanted to do while she still could.”

Sally’s four children Lauren, PJ, Tegan and Harrison and her husband Paul will be at the finish line to congratulate her when she finishes.

“It’s been a bit of a rough time but I’ve been trying to get as many people as possible to sponsor me.

“Everyone is behind me – we are a very close family. We all miss Charlotte terribly.”

To sponsor Sally, call 0797 6150999.

n Don’t miss the Dorset Echo’s Race for Life supplement in Tuesday’s Dorset Echo.