A Horsforth woman is working to fulfil her 15-year-old nephew's dying wish by raising as much money as possible for cancer charities.

After the death of her nephew Oliver in October last year Joanne Hanson pledged to continue his wish to fund research into cancer and its possible cures.

Oliver Tarry, who lived in York, battled with cancer for two years, and endured very strong doses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

His parents Kim and Simon, and brothers, Jonathan, 20 and Marcus, 17, decided that it was only right to fulfil his wish, and Joanne stepped in to take over the fundraising.

Joanne, 37, from Birch Hill Rise, in Horsforth, was Oliver's godmother as well as aunt.

She said: "Oliver was a wonderful nephew and godson - he was a happy, very kind and thoughtful boy, always thinking of others, right up until the end.

"He set an example right from an early age.

"He was also very chatty and lively and sometimes it was difficult to get a word in!"

"He had a great sense of humour and you couldn't help but smile whenever you were with him, it didn't matter what mood you were in beforehand."

Joanne added that Oliver's last wish reflected his personality.

"With everything he was going through his wish was to help others - what a lasting legacy.

"Oliver wanted to help others so much and stop anyone from going through what he was, we were determined to continue as Oliver would have if he had survived."

In December 2000, Oliver, who was then 13, was diagnosed as having cancer on his ribs and the family was told that it was terminal.

But Oliver said he wanted to fight the disease, so the doctors agreed to do all they could.

On Christmas Day that year he was so bad that the family did not think he would survive much longer, but the hospital started him on a very high dose of chemotherapy and he had a rib removed.

Oliver was given the all-clear in January 2002 but just a few weeks later the cancer returned, this time in his face.

It is the first time the type of cancer was found above the shoulders and it later spread to his back and hip region.

Oliver was forced to decide whether to fight the cancer or to be made comfortable.

He decided to battle the disease again and give the fight everything he could muster.

At the start of August 2002 Oliver was given an eight-week-old Cairn Terrier called Sammy to take his mind off the illness.

At the end of September Oliver and his family were told nothing more could be done for him.

Joanne said: "He didn't seem frightened and he said that when it was time, he would go, but he wasn't ready yet.

"He said he got visits in his sleep that explained what was going to happen and he was looking forward to it and he even planned his own funeral in great detail."

Before Oliver died, he told his family that he wanted any contributions to go to charities which would use the money to research cures and causes of cancer.

Joanne said: "Oliver said that he would like contributions to go to various cancer charities so that eventually, in his own words, 'no one would have to go through what I went through.'"