FAMILY and friends of a popular Risca woman who died after a fight with motor neurone disease will celebrate her life at a fundraising event later this month.

Natalie Crandon died on May 18, aged only 54, after being diagnosed with the condition on November 28 2014. She initially thought she was suffering with minor back trouble.

Now her husband David and their three sons will proceed with an event to raise money for the MND Association which had already been pencilled in before Mrs Crandon's death.

About 700 people attended Mrs Crandon’s funeral at the Moriah Baptist Church last Wednesday, many of whom had got to know the grandmother-of-four through her activities in the town, particularly at Risca Rugby Club.

And her husband David said although he will never overcome his grief, and that it has hugely affected their sons, Gareth, 31, Tom, 24, and Ryan, 20, it has comforting to see how highly regarded she was.

Mr Crandon said: “It has been a pleasure seeing how much she was loved. It’s tremendous."

His wife, who worked at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, spent 11 and a half weeks at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff from her diagnosis in November but returned home to Cader Idris Close in January where she was cared for by her husband.

The couple met at work at the GPO Factory in Cwmcarn when they were both 17 and were married at 21.

But despite her problems she was still determined to make Gareth’s wedding at the Glen-Yr-Afon House Hotel in Usk in April.

“She started having trouble with her hip, was in a lot of pain and leg kept collapsing. By the time she came home in January the only thing she could move was her head. With motor neurone disease it is all down the nervous system,” Mr Crandon added.

“We didn’t have any time to do anything. By the time she came home she was motionless.”

And he added: “We just want to do something because her suffering was so bad that anything that we can do to help [the charity] we will.

“With the support of the rugby club we still want to do something for the MND Association. It does not get much awareness and it is such a killer.”

The fundraiser will be held at Risca Rugby Club on Friday June 26 from 7pm.