Schoolgirls raise money for Rowans after nan's sudden cancer death

Eight-year-old Millie Booth, from Waterlooville, thought of a way to raise almost £150 for the Rowans Hospice Living Well Centre in Purbrook.

She wanted to do something to help the centre, which supports cancer sufferers, after her grandmother Sue Poat lost her life to the disease last month.

Sue, who was 69 when she died, was diagnosed with cancer in January and was told by doctors there was nothing that could be done for her.

Her husband Philip Poat, said the ordeal was terrible.

‘Doctors told us they didn’t know what type of cancer it was, or where it started,’ said the 68-year-old.

‘Problems started in December when Sue was getting really bloated all the time, she had lots of tests, scans and biopsies and we were originally told it might be ovarian cancer – but found out it wasn’t.

‘Then we were told it might be breast cancer, but it wasn’t that either.

‘Finally, doctors told us there was nothing they could do for Sue except give her some chemotherapy, but she refused because we knew what the outcome would be anyway.

‘Sue deteriorated fast. It was all very heartbreaking and myself and my daughter Sam, and granddaughter Millie miss her very much.

‘But I’m so proud of what Millie has done, she came up with the idea of making pots of slime and her friends helped her, because she wanted to do something to help.’

The girls made 60 pots of slime and sold them on the seafront at Southsea. At Sue’s wake they sold raffle tickets for the remaining pots, and made about £150. People also added to the donation pot at the funeral and the wake, bringing the total to £369.

Millie, who attends Berewood Primary School, said: ‘When my nan passed away I got really, really sad, and after we made some slime for ourselves we thought about making slime to help other people with cancer.

‘So we decided to make more to help the Rowans and give the money to the centre.

‘My nan looked after me all the time and the house is very empty without her, but it felt amazing to donate the cheque.’

The charity has thanked the young girls. A spokeswoman for the Rowans Hospice said: ‘We want to say a very big thank you to Millie and her friends for their fantastic idea for fundraising.

‘Millie obviously has an eye for the latest trends that appeal, with her two best friends making lots of pots of slime that raised a tidy sum.’