A son has launched an appeal in memory of his mum to raise money for the hospital which cared for her and the charity which saved her during a tragic accident

Debbie Hales died at the age of 66 on August 29.

She was well-known in Bolton for her community work, not least with the  Bolton United Harriers.

Tributes to Debbie Hales who has died aged 66

Her son Matthew Hales has set up a fundraiser in memory of the well-known Boltonian for the Evergreen Suite at Royal Bolton Hospital and the RNLI which saved her life during a tragic accident.

Debbie, mum-of-five- was first diagnosed with illness in 2019. She was cared for by the 'amazing team' at The Evergreen Suite in Bolton and rang the bell for the last chemotheraphy session.

But in January of this year the cancer returned.

Matthew said: "She now had secondary breast cancer, again the fantastic nurses at The Evergreen Suite showed immense care and compassion. They ensured she had all the support she needed."

The cancer sadly spread to Debbie's bones and was incurable.

Matthew said: "The Evergreen Suite made these difficult moments a lot more bearable for my mum. Through this network of support my mum reached out to cancer patients around the world to offer her support to those going through a similar situation."

The family are hoping to raise £10,000, which will be split between The Evergreen Suite and the RNLI.

The RNLI saved Debbie's life after a jet ski accident in Blackpool, in which Ian, her husband, died.

Debbie became a passionate supporterof the charity and organised events, fundraising challenges and volunteered.

Matthew said: "My mum leaves behind not only a big hole in many people's lives but also a legacy of fundraising and supporting many others.

"My mum had been a great supporter of both these charities, her final wishes were for her fundraising legacy to carry on."

To support the appeal visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/matthew-hales?utm_term=kXNEn4wrr