HELEN Crook has penned a heartfelt tribute to her late sister Lara, who passed away at the tender age of 23 last month after a brave fight against cancer.

Lara, who grew up in Stroud, had just graduated from Reading University with a 2:1 in philosophy and had previously attended Downfield Sixth Form and Thomas Keble school.

A tribute: To my darling little sister

Lara had always been the stronger and braver out of the two of us. Even from the very beginning, when we were small children, she was the one who lead the way, always the one starting our adventures. She was fiercely determined and independent, exclaiming “MY do it!” when any of us tried to help her with anything.

You see, Lara was one of a kind; a unique, wonderful little thing. As children, she made me laugh constantly with her colourful vivid imagination, conjuring imaginary friends for us to play with and creating dens out of blankets on rainy Saturdays. Even from a young age our friendship was evident and Lara, with her sparkling blue eyes, cheeky grin and infectious laugh, made my childhood something I will cherish forever. As Lara grew up, she became known for her quick wit and dry sense of humour, she had a spectacular ability to make anyone and everyone laugh. Oh and that laugh, that wonderfully special giggle! It was always such a joy to hear and I did my utmost to ensure it was a noise that was always heard around our home.

When Lara was diagnosed with the incredibly rare and aggressive NUT carcinoma 7 months ago at just 23 years of age, our world crashed down around us. That dark evening, in the small Reading hospital consultant’s room, was the worst day of my life. Sugary tea was brought to soften the blow, but nothing could take away the pain that something so sinister and dark was hiding within my beautiful sister.

And yet, in true Lara style, this was shrugged off. How dare something ruin her time at Reading University, her fun and exciting antics? It’s not that she ignored her cancer completely, there were times when it was all any of us thought about, but Lara’s attitude and behaviour towards her illness was something we should all take note of.

She never felt sorry for herself, never saw herself as the victim and certainly never asked for any pity. She was adamant she didn’t want people to know because their opinion of her would change and people would see her in a different light. And so, she carried on living her life, doing the things she enjoyed. A truly courageous and inspiring way to react, and something Lara did with such strength and dignity that I was in awe of her every single day.

She was the single bravest person I have ever known and her attitude towards life is something we should all adopt. No matter how bad your day, there is always light, a faint glimmer of hope and something to get us through the darkest of times. Find this hope and light in the smallest of things; a hug from a friend, new shoes, fresh coffee, a beautiful sunset over the common, whatever you find solace in.

I stumbled upon Lara’s diary when she was in hospital and in amongst the dreams and aspirations was this quote “when life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life 1000 reasons to smile” – this sums up Lara perfectly. That brave, bright and beautiful soul who we all knew and loved has hopefully inspired us all to live our lives better and see the world with a fresh perspective. Life is amazing, you’ve just to make the most of it, appreciate it for all it’s worth and live it as Lara would have.

Helen will be running the Virgin Money London Marathon on the 26th of April  as part of the Cancer Research UK team in Lara’s honour.

Please support her cause and pledge to raise £5000 by sponsoring her at www.justgiving.com/TeamCrook