TWO sisters have organised a hair-raising family fundraiser to follow in their parents' footsteps and thank the charity that supported them during one of the toughest times of their lives.

Twenty years ago Sam Barrett’s parents Gina, 59, and Steve Barrett, 58, raised £1,000 at their Pinehurst home for the children’s cancer charity CALM, as a heartfelt thank you for the support they gave when Sam had a tumour.

And on Saturday Sam, 29, her sister Kerrie Payton, 37, along with the help of their brother Jamie, 39, marked the milestone with another fundraising day for CALM at the Ferndale Club.

“I was nine-years-old when I was diagnosed with a teratoma tumour, which was attached to my right ovary,” said Sam, a medical advisor from Pinehurst.

“The next day I was rushed to hospital in Bristol for it to be removed but they couldn’t save my ovary and fallopian tube.

“Luckily it didn’t spread and nothing was cancerous, so they managed to get everything else out and I was only in hospital for a month. But if they hadn’t have caught it when they did it could have turned cancerous and spread throughout my body.

“Unfortunately it was because I got beaten up that the tumour flared up and my belly was swollen and made my mum concerned, so that’s how we found out and went to the doctors. In a way it was something that was good and bad.

“CALM, a Swindon-based charity, helped us and contacted my parents and asked if there was anything they could do to support us - they were brilliant.”

Sam was originally planning to hold the event at her home until the Ferndale Club saw the article in the Adver and offered their venue instead.

She added: “I’m am totally shocked how many people are here and we are so thankful. I had been worried I had too much stuff or I had not advertised enough but it has been amazing.

“We would love to match the amount our parents raised at their fundraiser.”

During the day the hall was packed with people taking part in raffles, a teddy tombola, table-top sale and face painting. They also played bingo later that evening with Crazy Cols Disco entertaining youngsters.

But the main highlight of the day was seeing Sam’s sister Kerrie shave her blonde locks off to raise even more money. On Saturday lunchtime the amount stood at just over £300.

Speaking after Dominic Oliveri, from Dom’s Barbershop, shaved the mum-of-three’s hair, she said: “I have had more cuddles than I have ever had in my life. I can’t thank my family and friends enough.

“I had mixed emotions about the head shave but I feel quite liberated now.

“The one thing I’ve said to my children is this is nothing because my hair grows back, but for all those children that CALM help, for some of them their hair doesn’t grow back.

“Sam is my inspiration – she’s so brave and still going through it.”