CANCER hospital bosses have paid tribute to a young Leigh mum-of-two who gave hope to thousands in her work at the internationally renowned Christie Hospital.

Jennifer Dunne (pictured on her wedding day) was killed in a motorway car crash with a lorry - four weeks after giving birth to her second child.

Jennifer was in the family's car, driven by husband Raymond, 33, with their two-years-old son James and baby Hannah. They were on their way home from a short holiday in Majorca.

The holiday had been arranged to help Jennifer, 31, of Broadwell Drive, Pennington - a popular and well-known radiographer at Christie Hospital in Manchester - recover following Hannah's birth.

Hannah, who was in a baby seat, escaped unhurt, but James suffered mild bruising from his seatbelt following the crash. Raymond also escaped with only slight injuries. The lorry driver was unhurt.

Jennifer's distraught mum, Anna Hilton, told The Journal: "We still can't believe this has happened. Her dad, Tony, and the whole family are totally shattered by this accident. We still don't know what happened properly.

"All we know is that we received a call on Friday morning telling us there had been an accident and telling us we should travel to the Infirmary in Stoke on Trent.

"We thank God that the children were unhurt." Jennifer, a former pupil of Sacred Heart RC School in Leigh and Mount St Joseph's in Bolton, married Raymond seven years ago in St Joseph's RC Church in Leigh.

Her sister Karen added: "Jennifer was such a popular person and liked by absolutely everyone who knew her. She had worked at Christie Hospital since she was 19-years-old having gone there shortly after leaving Mount St Joseph's in Bolton and so hundreds of people must have met her.

"She was also a member of Leigh Swimming Club and also swum for Wigan Wasps swimming team, so she was certainly well known and will be missed by lots of people besides her family."

Christine Soutter, superintendent radiograopher in the x-ray therapy department at Christie Hospital, praised Jennifer's work with cancer patients.

"She helped treat patients with cancer. She was very kind to her patients.

"She was very popular and enjoyed her work at the hospital.

"Our sympathy goes out to Raymond, James and Hannah."

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