LOVING mum Aleasha Coan died almost three years ago.

The 32-year-old had previously been diagnosed with ovarian cancer which was only detected after a voluntary hysterectomy.

She survived but after her diagnosis, the driving instructor vowed to raise money for research into the disease as well as to raise awareness of it.

Since her death, sons Toby and Oliver and husband Rob have continued in her name.

“They’re absolutely great boys.They could do a bit more for me at home but you can’t fault the drive to fundraise.”

Those are the words of proud dad, Rob Coan.

Since loving wife Aleasha died in 2015, her two children, Oliver, 14, and Toby, 13, have been fundraising tirelessly.

To date, they have raised just under £25,000 for Aleasha’s chosen charity, Ovarian Cancer Action, but the pair plan to hit £30,000 by the end of the year in a bid to mark what would have been their mum’s 40th year.

So far, the boys have swum 7.5km in the Colchester Leisure World pool, stood freezing outside Tesco at the Hythe collecting money and completed a number of In Her Name walks - a nationwide event organised by Ovarian Cancer Action.

Gazette: aleasha coan

This year’s event will take place on Sunday March 25 and will see participants walk the Wivenhoe Trail.

It’s a fundraiser which is open to all age groups, with the oldest person on last year’s walk being 76 and the youngest aged just four-years-old.

Dad Rob said: “The fundraising really hasn’t stopped.

“This year marks a significant year for us as it would have been Aleasha’s 40th birthday on March 28 and, while we can’t celebrate with her, we want to make it a special year for fundraising in her memory and try to break the £30,000 mark.

“It’s definitely quite a tall order but the boys are very motivated to achieve it.”

Rob, 43, of Elmstead Road in Colchester, added: “It’s a strange time of year, it being near to Mother’s Day, but although it’s really poignant and allows the boys to do something positive at this most challenging of times.

“The boys are always thinking about what we could do next to raise money, whether it’s testing themselves physically or just standing freezing outside Tesco, they put everything into it.

“I think we also see the really incredible side of people coming through.It’s quite humbling when people ask our story behind the bucket and, when we tell them, people often open up about their own difficulties.

“We’ve seen the generosity of the people of Colchester really shines through.

“We raised £430 just standing outside Tesco - it’s incredible, it’s humbling and it makes it even more worth it.”

Rob said Aleasha’s 40th birthday was sure to be a difficult time for the family.

He said: “It’s the big one and

we had always said in her 40th year we would plan to go to Australia.

“It’s somewhere she always wanted to go to and I have a cousin there, so that was the plan.

“Obviously, sadly, we can’t do that so the idea is to put that effort into the fundraising.”

The two boys, who both attend the Colne Community School and College in Brightlingsea, were recognised in June last year in the Jack Petchey Awards for their fundraising.

And the pair are showing no signs of stopping.

Rob added: “It has been three years since Aleasha died, I can’t quite believe that, but their mum is always right at the front of their minds.

“We’re very lucky in that family life, before a very sad time for us, was full of joy and smiles and love. And very often, every day in fact, we remember that.

“We talk about the things we did with Aleasha - even the small things around the house. She’s

always there.”

Other planned fundraisers include a close friend taking on a gruelling 10k Wolf Run, which will see her tackle a series of man-made and natural obstacles.

Aleasha’s mum, Caroline Ellison, will take on a skydive from 13,000ft, while another pal is also set parachute out of a plane.

Rob added: “People are just amazing.

“They keep coming to us with new ideas, whether they be throwing themselves out of a plane or doing some sort of incredible physical endurance event.”

For a full list of events and to find out how to sponsor the boys as well as their friends and family, go to aleasha-coan.muchloved.com.