A GRANDMOTHER'S final wish to send her family on a well-deserved holiday has been granted - six months after her death.

Linda Bouchear, of Woodville Terrace, Darwen, had been planning to send her son's young family on holiday before she suddenly died of lung cancer just three weeks after being diagnosed, in March.

Her son Ian's daughter Elise, six, has cystic fibrosis and both parents have given up work to look after her and so have little cash for a holiday.

It was only after Linda died that Ian, 39, and his partner Laura Bell, 28, found out what she and her friend Carol Walsh had been planning.

Laura, from Astbury Chase, said: "It just came out of the blue. Linda had been arranging it with Carol then she died within three weeks of being diagnosed with lung cancer so it was a real shock.

"No-one in the family knew about what she and Carol had planned. Carol said they had started planning but she died and so it was like a present from beyond the grave I suppose.

"It's impossible to keep a job with hospital visits and because Elise is poorly a lot so saving up for a holiday is not the easiest thing to do."

Laura, Elise and her sisters Grace, three, and Amy, ten, went to Donna's Dream House in Blackpool on August 31 for four days in time to see the famous Blackpool Illuminations switched on.

After Linda died Carol wanted to fulfil her dream and Darwen band Gone Beggin' had offered to do some fundraising gigs.

And when Carol spoke to medium and fundraiser Monty Havelock, from County Durham, when he visited Blackburn Spiritualist Church he volunteered to help.

Monty got in touch with Donna's Dream House, which provides free holidays for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Ashleigh Primary School pupil Elise has to have physiotherapy twice a day, take a number of drugs, eat a high calorie diet and exercise to combat the effects of cystic fibrosis. She also has recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver.

Carol, 43, of The Meadows in Darwen said: "I was a friend of Elise's grandmother who died in March and she really wanted them to have a holiday but they couldn't afford it. We wanted to get them a holiday but it never got done so I finished it off by asking Monty Havelock. He fundraises and he put her name forward and she got in. "

The family stayed in the Winnie The Pooh room and were given tickets for attractions including Blackpool Tower by the charity.

Laura said: "It was lovely. We got free tickets for the circus show at the Tower which was brilliant and we got tickets for the Sea Life Centre. She loved it, especially the circus show. Elise has been really poorly, she's just starting to get right again, so it was a nice break."