A MOTHER-OF-THREE who has battled terminal breast cancer for nine years will have a book dedicated to her after a successful charity bid.

Ann Sandeman, whose condition is now incurable - will see her name in Lizzie's Christmas Escape written by her friend, author Christie Barlow, thanks to an auction which raised money for children's charity Clic Sargent.

Ann said she was delighted by the support from her friends.

The 45-year-old from Hastings said: “This is a wonderful gesture, one which touched me greatly, and I can’t thank my friends enough for the love and inspiration they have shown. "

Ann has had a tough year undergoing major life-saving surgery at Guys Hospital in London, then spending a further five weeks in hospital due to infection.

She said: "I simply don’t have time to die. I have three children I want to see grow up. You have to deal with it. You have to be positive and you have to be strong because it’ll beat you mentally otherwise.

"I’ll fight - I’ll stay strong and I’ll fight until I draw my last breath. I have to. I’ve got too much to lose."

She is a single mum with three children. Hannah 12, Emma,10 and Ben 8. She says she has tremendous family and friends who support her, and she has raised almost £30,000 for charity.

Last year she was awarded the Ambassador of Hope award by Cancer Research UK.

Ann was told she had breast cancer when she was pregnant with her son Ben. She went ahead with chemotherapy to clear the cancer and Ben was born healthy.

However, the cancer returned with a vengeance in 2010 when a tumour developed between her lungs and wrapped itself around the blood vessels of her heart. Although the cancer is treatable, it cannot be cured.

Since then, she has gone on to organise, take part in and support scores of Cancer Research UK events, including Race for Life, as well as organising balls and other events.

She has had seven courses of chemotherapy treatment, five courses of radiotherapy and six surgeries. Next month she is due to have her liver ablated.

As well as fund-raising for Clic Sargent, Ann's friends were asked by her life-long pal Sharon Pillinger if they would be willing to take part in a gruelling walk in aid of Breast Cancer Research.

So on May 14 the group of seven mothers agreed and put their best foot forward for a Moonwalk across London, walking 26.2 miles overnight.

Sharon said: "This particular charity was very close to my heart, as Ann has been battling breast cancer for the last nine years. She is now on one of the last chemotherapy treatments that she can have. She can have repeats of the ones she has had before but they won't be as good.

"As a group we trained very hard. We called ourselves Annie's Amigos and among the seven was a mother called Christie Barlow. She is an author and has written three best-selling novels.

"Christie, knowing how much Ann means to me, said she would dedicate her next book to Ann Sandeman and Annie's Amigos. She kept her word and has done exactly what she said she would."

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