A MUM battling cancer is determined to complete the OX5 Run this weekend to raise money for staff who saved her daughter's life.

Meah Hall was motivated to start running again and 'return to normality' after her thyroid cancer diagnosis after the care Oxford Children's Hospital gave her daughter Francesca when she was just three.

Francesca, now six, had problems breathing and was treated for acute viral pneumonia after her mum became worried about her heavy breathing and gasping.

Doctors decided she may not be able to maintain the effort needed to breathe each time and put her in an induced coma.

After two days she was brought out of the coma and following months of medication and check ups she has made a full recovery.

Mrs Hall said: "We would not have been able to cope without the care and support of the staff.

"It got to the point where we were familiar faces in there and they responded so quickly and brilliantly to everything.

"The nurse who looked after Francesca realised she had got worse overnight, and was amazing, they all were."

She added: "If we didn't such a great facility and support from the hospital I hate to think what might have happened to her."

The 38-year-old, who lives with husband Simon, Francesca and two-year-old daughter Isabella in Witney, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in April last year and following an operation in the summer has been undergoing radioactive iodine therapy.

The purification scientist said: "I ran the Reading half marathon last year before being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and I just wanted to get back to some sort of normality - I don't want to just feel sorry for myself.

"A friend of mine is running the OX5 and I decided to start running again for it - after what we went through with Francesca it's great motivation to raise money for the hospital.

"I still feel tired and I'm a bit a slow, I run once a week now when I used to be able to do three runs each week - but I'm looking forward to the run and hope to raise as much as possible."

The young family also stayed in Ronald McDonald House and backed the hospital's campaign to fund a new 62-bedroom home for parents.

The OX5 Run is being sponsored by recruitment firm Allen Associates for the ninth year.

Last year's event saw a record-breaking £115,000 raised, which has already been spent on a sensory room to educate and entertain children in its high dependency unit, equipment to stabilise premature babies and a specialist nurse for children with severe asthma.

People wanting to take part can do so by signing up online by going to hospitalcharity.co.uk/ox5run.