BEREAVED mum Joan Anderson has plenty to thank Boots in St Albans for after a charity event at the store raised over £1,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) Joan is a customer of Wendy Seabrook of the Elizabeth Arden team at the store and the cosmetics

BEREAVED mum Joan Anderson has plenty to thank Boots in St Albans for after a charity event at the store raised over £1,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT)

Joan is a customer of Wendy Seabrook of the Elizabeth Arden team at the store and the cosmetics account manager offered to hold the event in support of TCT which Joan has supported since the death of her 17-year-old son Stuart from cancer in 2006.

The evening itself raised £555 and Boots donated another £500 from their Make a Difference Fund.

Joan said: "The event was lovely and I gave a talk on the evening.

"It was the first time I'd spoken publicly since my son's death as I didn't feel able to do it, but actually, I feel much better since I have."

Stuart, who was a pupil of Sandringham School, St Albans, lost his four-year fight with cancer in 2006.

His mother started fundraising for TCT because of the treatment he received at the unit in University College London Hospital.

Joan said: "It is a strange environment, with all the children there having no hair. But they are laughing and joking and just being teenagers.

"There were two others on the ward from St Albans as well, so it's more common than people think."

Stuart's funeral raised £10,000 for the TCT.