TRIBUTES have been paid to brave youngster Georgia Kelly, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of nine.

More than 100 people will join 'Team Georgia' running this year's Race for Life in her honour.

Georgia, from Daisy Hill in Westhoughton, fought neuroblastoma since 2011 — but lost her cancer battle at the end of last year.

She took part in the annual Cancer Research UK event for the past three years capturing the hearts of her fellow runners.

This year will be the first time that Georgia’s mum Karen Kelly will take part in the race — at Pennington Flash in Leigh — without her daughter by her side.

The 39-year-old paediatric nurse, who lives in Hydrangea Close with husband Phillip, said it will be a difficult day but she wants people to be positive for Georgia.

She said: “It is going to be weird, because we have always done the race because of Georgia, for Georgia and with Georgia and this year it will still only be six months after she’s gone.

“It is so incredibly sad that she has died and I wish we could have her back but Georgia would not want people to be upset, she would want people to be positive, happy and helping people because that is how she was.”

Mrs Kelly’s positive outlook is all the more remarkable considering the fact she and Phillip have also suffered the tragedy of seeing their first born baby boy Jamie die at the age of just three weeks.

She also lost her father, Sam, just months before Georgia’s original diagnosis.

She said: “When Jamie died it was like our hearts were broken and then when Georgia died it was like they were ripped out.

“But I know that she would be cross if she thought we were being sad or miserable all the time."

She added: “Some days I can’t believe she’s gone and I don’t believe it is real — but then you get that crushing realisation.

“But then it always comes back to me that however awful and sad it is we have to remember Georgia was always positive, happy and smiling and if she could be all of those things throughout everything she went through — then I’m sure we can be as well.”

Mrs Kelly will be a special guest at the race on Sunday, June 5 and says she will be happy to talk about her brave, smiling daughter in a bid to potentially help others.

She said: “We weren’t lucky and Georgia didn’t make it. She fought with everything she had but she just couldn’t do anymore.

“But the money and awareness we can raise in her memory means that someone else could have a different result.

“We can’t just stop because she isn’t here, she would want us to carry on and help others, because that is what she always did.”

And memories of her daughter will be at the front of her mind during the charity race — an event the former St James pupil always looked forward to taking part in.

Mrs Kelly said: “Over the past three years, there was never any suggestion that she wouldn’t do the race — even when she was bald from chemo and really ill, she still took part and loved the fact that everyone was on Team Georgia, she never realised how brave she was being.”

She added: “But that is how she was throughout the four years, she never really knew she was ill.

“Even the week before she died, she was in hospital and couldn’t walk but she was making plans for Christmas.

“When I look back at all the many photographs I have on her — she might be bald and have big scars from surgery but there isn’t a single photograph of Georgia where she is not happy and smiling.

“The race will be hard and there will be sad times but we have to be positive — you can have your tears but then you have to pick yourself up and think that if she was here she would be saying ‘what are you playing at mum?’

The Leigh Race for Life starts at Pennington Flash from 11am on Sunday, June 5.

Race for Life in Bolton is on June 19 at Leverhulme Park.

To donate to Team Georgia visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Pamela-Chandler

To enter the Cancer Research UK Race for Life visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.