THREE sisters threw her a 'chemo party' for their mum after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

And they will race together in their first half-marathon for Cancer Research UK.

Jennifer, Charlotte and Katie chose to keep positive after their mum Avril Miller, 67, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in November. Survival rates are low, often because the disease is diagnosed late and is difficult to treat.

Jennifer, who lives in Royal Wootton Bassett, said: “Mum is stage four so we know that although she is having treatment there is no cure.

“It’s very sad to say but it is classed as terminal. It’s heartbreaking for us.

“We try and keep her positive because that’s what her outlook needs to be.”

Together with sisters Charlotte and Katie, the close-knit trio threw Avril, who lives in Bristol, a party at her first chemo session.

“That was quite a fun day, the first chemo sessions, we turned up with a massive cake and party hats,” added Jennifer.

“All the other patients were sat there going round, and they all had some cake. I think they were glad we came that day.

“We were there for about nine hours, we saw people coming and going for treatment. Even the patients were giving us hugs when we left, it was great.”

They have signed up to do the 10k Race for Life at Lydiard Park in May, followed by the Bristol Half-Marathon in September.

And they have set up a Facebook group which has attracted other families battling the same cancer to run the race with them.

The sisters will be doing cake sales and fundraising events to raise funds for more research into pancreatic cancer.

“We can’t do anything to change her diagnosis but we can help other people,” Jennifer added. “Even if one person goes to visit their doctor that’s something good that has come out of something so awful.”

Avril is doing clinical trials for new treatments at the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Cancer, funded by Cancer Research UK.