HAVING to watch her two daughters lose their fight against brain cancer was devastating.

Gill Cavanagh's daughter, Emma, died in February 1992, while her second daughter, Ann-Marie, lost her fight for life in May 1994.

They were both aged just eight.

Now, Gill has had her hair shaved off to raise money for Cancer Research UK in their memory – a fitting tribute to her girls, who also lost their hair during treatment.

The head-shave took place on Monday, which was the 20th anniversary of Emma's death.

Gill, 52, said: "I'm just getting used to it and walking into the office was a little bit daunting.

"But you get over that and everyone has been saying how nice it looks.

"In some respects, it was an emotional day.

"But it was quite uplifting because of what I was doing and that helped a great deal.

"It doesn't feel like 20 years ago."

Emma was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in April 1991, while Ann-Marie was diagnosed with the disease in September 1991.

They had surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and were treated in both Hull and Leeds, often in neighbouring beds.

Gill, of east Hull, is aiming to raise £4,000 for Cancer Research UK and has raised £2,700 so far.

She said: "I'm well on the way and there is a lot of sponsorship still coming in.

"People from all over the country have sponsored me."

Ann-Marie was named the winner of the Mail's Child Of Courage award in 1992 in recognition of her bravery in fighting her own illness, as well as losing her sister.

Gill said she knows her daughters would have been proud of her for shaving her hair off for charity.

"They would have laughed their heads off," she said.

"They would have found it highly amusing, especially because I have done something like this.

"They had a good sense of humour."

Gill, who previously had collar-length hair, said she is now adapted to having a bald head and it makes a difference when she is getting ready for the day ahead.

She said: "I have taken 10 minutes off my time to get ready in a morning because I don't have to style it or dry it.

"I'm not going to colour it any more.

"It's coming back dark with grey bits at the side.

"It feels like suede.

"I keep feeling it and it feels a bit strange."

Gill, an administrator at NHS Hull, had her hair cut at the Mark Hill Salon in Kirk Ella and her son, Richard Cavanagh, 30, was there to support her.

Modest about her actions, Gill said she not consider herself as brave.

"My family and friends are amazed by what I have done," she said.

"People think I'm really brave, but I have only had my hair cut.

"It's not that brave and it's not as if I have had my teeth pulled out."

Visit www.justgiving.com/ Gillian-Cavanagh to sponsor Gill.