JESSICA Hope Gauntley was a remarkable teenager.
A head girl at her junior school, a member of the netball team, she also juggled passions for singing, music and drama alongside her studies. She hoped to work for an environmental charity.
But her life was cut cruelly short.
At 15, she was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma – an aggressive brain cancer.
The disease came with little warning.
She had been suffering from mild headaches for a few weeks, but they were nothing that couldn't be resolved with a couple of paracetemol.
But suddenly her condition took turn for the worse.
Her mother, Karen Gauntley, said: "In the course of 36 hours, she developed a severe headache that didn't get better."
"Over the next few days she had CET scans and MRIs, and they found a very large brain tumour.
Karen, an ex-healthcare professional, said she knew the prognosis meant Jessica had little time left.
Although Jessica knew she had cancer, Karen and husband John made the tough decision to avoid telling her the seriousness of her illness.
"It would have been cruel – she had her whole future ahead of her. At that age, you're worrying about things like boys and school and it was hard enough to see her losing her hair and going through treatment.
"I suppose we felt, what would she have left to live for?"
After she was diagnosed the family crammed in as many activities as possible, with trips to Alton Towers and Harry Potter World among them. She even got to see Usain Bolt set the 100m sprint world record at the Olympic Games.
Jess Blanche, one of her closest friends, took her to a modelling photoshoot in Birmingham to boost her self-esteem. She said: "She went without the wig that she was wearing at the time. It really showed how beautiful she was."
Jessica's condition progressively worsened but she was cared for at home for the last few weeks of her life. She died there on February 26.
A public service was later held at Jessica's school, Trent College, Long Eaton, attended by friends, teachers and classmates.
"There were people queuing up outside the school's chapel." said Jess Blanche. "There were so many we couldn't let some of them in."
Karen said that although Jessica received fantastic treatment at the QMC, she had found it demoralising to spend weeks in the children's cancer unit with few people her own age to talk to.
"She found it degrading being stuck with toddlers and young children crying around her.
"She was a young woman and she was being cared for in the wrong environment."
Karen took it upon herself to take action.
The Jessica Hope Foundation will now launch as an official charity this Sunday at Trent College, hoping to provide equipment for a planned teenage cancer unit at the QMC as well as raise public awareness of brain tumours in young people and boost fundraising.
Karen said: "More funding could help improve survival rates and reduce the likelihood of disabilities, such as epilepsy, developing following operations."
More than £12,000 has been raised already.
Cricketer Graeme Swann and members of McFly have appeared for photos with Jessica's brother, Sam and the charity has more than 1,200 likes on Facebook. It now expects to see between 300 to over 1000 people at the weekend.
"The support has been overwhelming," said Karen, "from cake making to canvases and people promoting all the work we're doing.
"The school is now trying to find a place for a memorial plaque as well."
"I just want to say an enormous thank you. Everyone has been so wonderful."
"Jess's loss is devastating and our hearts are broken but she is our inspiration."
