'We'll smile again one day'

Catherine died last week following a long battle with cancer. The ten-year-old displayed exceptional bravery during the three-and-a-half years she lived with leukaemia and has been described as an inspiration.

The spirit and determination she showed in dealing with the terrible disease inspired scores of fundraising events which helped raise awareness of children's cancer. But perhaps the biggest inspiration she provided was to her own family, who had already had to come to terms with incredible loss.

Catherine's sister, Anne-Marie, drowned in a council-run swimming pool in 2001, aged just 13. Unbelievably, her brother Daniel died in almost identical circumstances last year. He, too, was only 13.

Parents Iain and Marie Readshaw have had to rely on the strength and closeness of their family and friends to get them through the most difficult of times. The losses have also been difficult on the couple's other children, Nicole, 12, and seven-year-old Rachel.

The support they have received will continue to be crucial as the family tries to comprehend the loss of a third child, Catherine. But rather than dwell on their misfortune, they have chosen to remember Catherine's bravery throughout her treatment which, at times, was very painful and very hard.

Her grandfather, Joe Conroy, says: "She never got used to it, it was very painful, but she was determined and her attitude was, 'I'll show them'.

"Catherine was what I would describe as a twisty sort of bairn, but the further she went on with the treatment, the more that disappeared and her character just seemed to blossom.

"I can't even remember her crying for anything, the only time she would show any tears was if we were leaving her in hospital for a while. Before, she would cry at the drop of a hat."

One of the most difficult times was when Catherine underwent a bone marrow transplant, thanks to her sister, Nicole, who provided a perfect match.

The transplant was a success - Catherine's blood group changed to that of her sister - but the leukaemia returned.

The operation was hard for Nicole, and she had to be brave and strong throughout the process, but she is proud to have been able to support Catherine in one of the most personal ways possible. And she is also proud of the way her sister handled herself throughout her disease.

"She inspired people. I always felt comfortable around her and people looked up to her for her bravery," says Nicole. "I just loved her very much and I was glad I was able to help her."

Throughout her illness, Catherine took time out to support the many fundraising events which her struggle inspired. One of the many highlights was meeting former England rugby hero Jeremy Guscott, who stopped off in her home town of Ferryhill, County Durham, during a charity walk. Like many others, he was touched by Catherine's courage, which is continuing to prompt others to raise money for children's cancer.

A charity walk is planned and money is being raised in the Great North Run as a direct result of Catherine's efforts.

"She did inspire others and she made people aware of diseases of the bone marrow and the money that is needed to treat them," says grandmother Kath Conroy.

"Apart from Daniel and Anne-Marie, there were her friends in hospital who were dying around her, it just seems that all she ever knew was death. But in spite of all of that she managed to inspire others with her bravery and her courage."

But just exactly how does one family cope with so much tragedy in such a short space of time? It is not a question which occupies much of their time, as Kath explains.

"We never ask why has it happened to us because it's such a negative question," she says. "You're not going to get any answer to it, you've just got to go on and be positive. Iain and Marie are not putting their heads in the sand, they're going to move forward. That isn't to say it's going to be easy, it won't be, but they're certainly going to try and we'll smile again one day.

"The support of family, the community and friends is absolutely crucial, and not just for now, it'll be ongoing. That's what it's all about, getting together and supporting each other."

Since Anne-Marie died, the family has gathered together every week for Sunday lunch, to which Catherine's friends were often invited.

They were angered by a report in the national press describing them as the UK's most tragic family. "We are not a tragic family, we are a family which has dealt with tragedy and we hope we're dealing with it by supporting each other and through the support of the community," says Kath. "We have to cope and do the best we can, but it's no good putting your head in your hands. We've got to make the effort to move forward, with the help of everybody around."

That support, which is continuing to this day, has come from a most surprising variety of sources. Asda in Spennymoor has been one of the biggest helps, with fundraiser extraordinaire Ann Allison organising events which have helped pay for travelling costs to and from the hospital and a television for Catherine. She has become a close friend of the family, which describes her as having a heart of gold.

Catherine's aunt, Elaine Egleton, says: "The help from Asda has been there right from the start and it's never stopped. It would have been very difficult to manage without it, it's as simple as that."

Hartlepool company Heerema, who gave Mr Readshaw a job when he needed to be close to his daughter in hospital, gave Catherine a lap-top computer, which gave a great amount of joy during her last days.

The Co-operative Funeral Service provided its professional services free of charge, as it did for Daniel, and there have been other expressions of support too numerous to mention.

"We need to say a great big thank-you to everyone," says Joe Conroy.

"I wouldn't say we couldn't have managed, but things would have been more difficult without the help we've been given. It's been very much appreciated."

A big comfort to the family was provided by Catherine's last days, which she was able to spend at home. Nurses had warned that she might not want too many people around her, but Catherine's reaction was completely the opposite. She wanted to see as many people as possible and had a constant stream of visitors, many of whom attended a party thrown for her just two days before she died.

"She couldn't stand it when the house was empty," says her grandmother. "She enjoyed every moment of those last nine days and I've never seen her smile so much, it was wonderful," says Gillian Bowmer, Catherine's aunt.

"All she wanted to do was come home and it really lifted her spirits, I just thank God for those last nine days we had because she was really happy. We wanted to make her happy and we did. We are all very proud of her, she was an absolute star."