THE family of a young cancer victim are to take part in a gruelling fundraising trek to mark ten years since she died.

Leala Milleare, from Clacton, died aged just 29 in 2009 after a battle with cervical cancer.

Her brothers Luke and Jamie Milleare, 34, and Luke’s fiancée Stephanie Correia, 26, will now trek the mountains of Transylvania, in Romania, to raise cash for St Helena Hospice in her memory.

Leala, a former Clacton County High School student, died with her family at her bedside at the hospice in Colchester. She would have been 40 today.

The fundraiser will also be in memory of his mother, Jill, who died aged 57 in the same room at the hospice from mesothelioma in 2013.

Luke said: “I lost my mum and sister to cancer and I never expected such a tragic and life changing event.

“My sister passed away ten years ago this year we want to take this challenge to do her and mum proud but also to have a sense of achievement.

“At the same time it will raise money for such an incredible charity that looked after my mum and Leala but also us as a family at such a hard time in our lives.

“I can’t describe the work St Helena Hospice do for families like us when in need and I want to return this love by taking this challenge that’s pushing all my boundaries to their physical limits.”

The trek will take place in February and will see Luke and Stephanie face sub-zero temperatures high in the Transylvanian mountains.

They will trek for more than 15 hours over three days.

Luke said: “We will be walking in the most challenging depths of snow for unbearable tasks testing our limits in the bitter winds.

“This is not an easy challenge in the slightest but I want to do this in aid of St Helena Hospice to raise as much money as I can.

“It’s going to test us to our limits but it’s all for people that are in the final stages of life.

“Leala would be heartbroken to see anyone else suffer.

“The hospice do as much as they can and are thoughtful to everyone. I can’t explain what we would have done without them.”

Luke, who owns a beauty salon in Colchester, and Stephanie have already raised more than £700 towards their £4,000 target.

To support them, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/luke-milleare.