Leamington Spa mum pays tribute to daughter after cancer death

A memory tree at a Christmas tree festival has been dedicated to a six-year-old girl who died from cancer in October.

Neive Warwick, from Leamington Spa, was diagnosed with rhabdomysarcoma in September 2022.

In the last 12 months she had been a weekly visitor to the town's Enchanted Tea Room, where she enjoyed singing and dancing with fairytale princesses.

The owner of the business, Kelly Iles, sponsors a memory tree at the festival at All Saints' Church. She invited Neive's mother Sarah to put the first decoration on the tree in her daughter's honour.

Mrs Warwick is also setting up a charity in her daughter's memory to help fund research into the disease.

"We'd like to see less harsh treatments available for children with rhabdomysarcoma," she said.

"Better outcomes for children in the long term - that's what's pushed us to create Neive's Arc, dedicated to funding more research into finding a cure and better outcomes for our precious children."

A film by John Bray

12 December 2023