THE mother of a Colne teenager who was diagnosed with a brain tumour completed the Great North Run to raise money for the charity which looked after them.

Angela Maden, 37, tackled the 13-mile run from Newcastle to South Shields in aid of Ronald McDonald House, a charity which helped keep the family nearby while her daughter, Louise Watson, had treatment last year.

Mother-of-three Angela is a keen runner and completed the run in 2hr 36min.

She said: “It’s quite a slow time for me. It’s definitely reflective of the lack of training I had this year. Most of my time was spent in hospital with Louise but I really wanted to complete the run to raise money as a thank you.”

Angela, of Derby Street, set a target of £500 for the charity which provides accommodation for families with children in hospital and has, to date, received £470 in sponsorship.

Louise was taken ill 12 months ago and Angela recalls sensing a change in her daughter during the six-week summer holidays.

She said: “Louise was a little bit unlike her usual self during the summer. She was sleeping a lot and didn’t seem to want to do anything. She stayed in her room a lot and wasn’t interested in her hobbies.

“I put it down to hormones and figured that it was a teenage thing but when she went back to school and did PE, the teachers called me and asked me to pick her up.

“They said she was unco-ordinated and had struggled to move properly. She had to see a specialist and they found a brain tumour.”

Louise, 15, underwent a successful operation to remove the tumour and is now back at Pendle Vale High School, Nelson, studying for her GCSEs.

Angela added: “She is just amazing and so positive. Because of the operation, she has lost her hearing in one ear and her vocal chords have been damaged.

“But she is just so positive and improves every day. Her voice is getting stronger and she has caught up on all of her school work.

“She is incredible and an inspiration to us all.”

To make a donation, visit Angela’s JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/Angela-Maden1