A HEARTBROKEN family from Poole are appealing for donations towards funeral costs following the death of their daughter.

Poppy Lenthall, who attended Canford Heath Junior School, lived with two brain tumours for almost 10 years, having been diagnosed back in 2012

The 32-year-old experienced many other difficulties in life including type one diabetes from the age of eight and later the rare condition Sarcoidosis.

Poppy’s sister Sadie said: “One brain tumour was in the centre of her head which, left untreated, could have caused her to be paralysed and the other tumour is on the left side of her brain near her speech cortex.

“After the operations, she lost her speech and ability to communicate and write simple sentences.

“She struggled with depression and was then diagnosed with Sarcoidosis which is a breathing condition and then had to undergo radiotherapy as there was still some of the tumour left.”

Poppy underwent a range of different treatments and surgeries including two operations, nearly three sets of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy tablets.

She had been given the ‘all clear’ by medical staff twice, only for the tumours to return quicker and more violent than before.

Due to an extremely low platelet count, Poppy became very ill, which resulted in her having seizures and regular visits to hospital.

Two weeks before her 32nd birthday on June 16 this year, a birthday she shares with her twin brother Troy, Poppy’s family were told there was nothing else doctors could do and that she had weeks to live.

“We didn’t know whether to tell her at first as we didn’t want her to give up the fight she had fought for so long, but we told her as we knew she would want to know,” said Sadie.

“When she received the horrible news, she had accepted that she may die but was upset that she would never dance again and regretted that she had never found her true soulmate in a man that truly showed her the love she deserves.

“I told her last month that if I could take the pain away I would, and my dad said he would take her place in an instant as he has lived his life and doesn’t want to bury his daughter.”

She has had the close support of her family and her therapy dog Jessie who has been by her side for over 10 years and trained in sensing when Poppy is about to have hypoglycaemic attacks and seizures.

Due to the continued pain and seizures she experienced, she was sedated, bed ridden and immobile. Poppy died on the morning of Saturday July 17.

Sadie said: “The last day I had with Poppy awake and talking to me was June 28, nearly two weeks after her 32nd birthday.

“We had her favourite meal McDonalds and when we cuddled, she held me so tight and for long periods and we listened to music which she loved and said she wanted to learn how to play the electric guitar, so I was going to arrange this before she experience three prolonged seizures through the night.

“The last month has been life changing as we have had to adapt the house for wheelchair use, get equipment in to help mobilise her with standing aids and a wheelchair.”

Poppy’s family have started making funeral arrangements. However, as her parents were victims of the Spain land scandal in 2006, funds are difficult to come by.

In order to help alleviate some of the stress on her parents, Sadie had set up a fundraising page prior to the passing of her younger sister.

“Poppy is one of the bravest people I know, and my baby sister, and she had so much love from her family and friends but felt she lost a lot of friends because of her illness,” she added.

“She didn’t know that we had set up a GoFund me page, but it was my idea as I felt as the oldest sister that I wanted to take the burden away from my parents of organising the funeral.

“She was so happy at the amount of people who have sent loving and supportive messages from so many who knew her, and she touched so many lives.”

To donate to the fundraiser, click here.