A FAMILY have pledged to keep fundraising in honour of a loving son, father and brother who died of a rare form of cancer.

Andrew Carter was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2015 after first being misdiagnosed with a different form of cancer.

It is thought the father-of-four had the cancer for up to ten years before realising.

Despite radiotherapy treatment, Andrew, who lived in Chaplin Road, East Bergholt, was told in June there was nothing more doctors could do.

He died at home on September 10, aged 55.

Sister Kaye Gawn, of Little Oakley, said: “At his funeral on October 2 there were over 400 people, everybody just loved him.

“He was a devoted father and I never heard anyone say a bad word about him.”

Andrew grew up in Little Oakley, played football for the village team, played rugby and cricket in Dovercourt and worked on the tugs at Felixstowe until be fell ill.

For the past three years, Kaye, along with friends and family, have raised about £9,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital where he was treated, and Sarcoma UK.

Kaye said: “He loved the fundraising - he would text me and tell me how proud he was of me and he said he couldn’t say it because he would get upset.

“Something like this just makes you want to do more for other people.

“From the day we found out about Andrew’s cancer it brought us as a family very close and stronger and determined to do some good out of such devastating news.

“The Royal Marsden hospital cared for Andrew with love and devotion and we will always be extremely grateful.

“Not long after Andrews death we decided to hold a race night in his memory and also do a raffle to raise as much money as we could for a charity that helps people with sarcoma and who do a lot of research in this very rare cancer.

“I am so thrilled to let everyone who came and to all our local businesses who gave us such lovely prizes we raised a total of £1,466 for Sarcoma UK.”

Kaye wants to take her total raised in honour of Andrew, who became a grandad to Darcie a year before his death, up to at least £10,000.

His son, Alexander is planning to run the London Marathon next year in his memory and Kaye has hopes of climbing a mountain to raise money, awareness of the cancer, and be a bit closer to Andrew.