A SONG penned by a mother with terminal cancer looks set to enter the charts next week and raise hundreds of pounds for charity.

We Laughed was written by Maxine Edgington, 47, from Portland, for her daughter Jessica, 16, with some help from musician Billy Bragg.

The moving song achieved its first success as it became the most requested song on the Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 show and has been available to download from the Internet.

But a three-track CD single of We Laughed will be available to buy from Monday and it is hoped that it will feature in the following week's top 40 chart.

Billy Bragg, who wrote the music for the popular song, said: "Both the Rosetta Life charity and the Trimar Hospice will benefit from the sales of this CD.

"More importantly we hope to challenge the perception of hospices as places that people go into to die by highlighting the important role that they play in helping people to carry on living with life-threatening illnesses."

Mrs Edgington wrote the lyrics during a series of Rosetta Life workshops at the Trimar hospice in Weymouth.

Rosetta Life is an organisation which works with artists and people with life-threatening illnesses to create expressive artwork.

Nearly 12 months ago Mrs Edgington was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.

She wanted to do something special to help her daughter with the grieving process.

The cover of the CD single shows the picture which inspired the song, a photograph of Mrs Edgington and her daughter smiling.

Also featured on the CD is an equally touching track called My Guiding Star by Lisa Payne and The Light Within by Veronica Barfoot.

We Laughed is performed by singer Helena and a band of musicians, including Robbie McIntosh who has previously played with musicians such as Norah Jones and Sir Paul McCartney.

The other members of the band are Chris Lonergan, Ady Milward and Julie Lewis, who first performed the song at the Three Horseshoes Inn, Burton Bradstock.

We Laughed will compete against new singles by Status Quo, Madness and the Eurythmics for places in the top 40.

The single will be available from most supermarkets and record stores from October 31.