A NURSE battled a storm to raise cash for charity in memory of her son, who died at the age of 22.

Veronica Sunnassee has handed £410 over to the Willow Foundation, which supported her son Daniel before his death from cancer five years ago, after completing a 10km walk with 500 other fundraisers.

The foundation was set up by former Arsenal goalkeeper and television presenter Bob Wilson and his wife Megs in memory of their daughter Anna, who died from cancer aged 31.

It is the only charity of its kind, providing special days for seriously ill 16 to 40-year-olds across the country.

It paid for Daniel and his girlfriend Flic Davies to go to the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire after he was diagnosed with a rare oral cancer in June 2004.

Despite receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Daniel died six months later in January 2005.

Mrs Sunnassee, who used to work on Jefferson Ward, at Essex County Hospital, where Daniel was treated, now works in the accident and emergency department at Colchester General Hospital.

She said: “Willow were wonderful to my son. His trip to Alton Towers gave him a real lift at what was a very difficult time. Along with 500 other people, including my friend Jenny Moss, I took part in a 10 kilometre sponsored walk in November near the charity’s headquarters in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

“It was abandoned when I was about halfway round because of a combination of thunder, hail and rain.”

Mrs Sunnassee, of Chaucer Way, Colchester added: “Bob Wilson was there and I had a chance to thank him for what Willow had done for Daniel.”

Daniel, a keen amateur guitarist, had been a degree student in Cheltenham and had attended Colchester Sixth Form College, Philip Morant School and Home Farm Primary School.

Mrs Sunnassee, and her Mauritian husband Ray, who met when they both worked at the former Myland Hospital, in Colchester, have another son, Nolan.