A TEENAGER has died after complications from a birthmark which was growing inside her.

Today her parents opened their hearts for the first time about their "wonderful" 19-year-old daughter whose rare condition was undetected for 17 years.

Sharon Moyse, of Monnow Way, Bettws, finally lost her fight for life, despite several operations at a specialist hospital in London.

Her condition, in which a birthmark grew on her lung, is so rare doctors say they cannot remember the last time the illness was recorded.

She died with her parents Ray, 63, and Kate, 59, at her side. They described their daughter as a wonderful, precious gift.

Sharon died on May 6 at Hammersmith Hospital in London from complications related to an internal birthmark on her lung.

Mr Moyse said: "She was a beautiful child and a beautiful person - we only had good times we never had bad times."

Sharon was studying A-Levels at Cross Keys and was a keen Irish dancer, performing at the Courtabella Club, Cardiff Road, in Newport.

Mr Moyse said: "She touched people and they loved her. We had 19, nearly 20, years with the most wonderful human being, it was a privilege to be her mum and dad."

Sharon was a fit young woman who discovered a problem with one of her lungs when she was 17.

Mr Moyse said she started coughing blood and was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital and then later to Hammersmith Hospital, London, where it was discovered she had a birthmark - known as a haemangioma - on her right lung which was growing.

Sharon had had the condition since birth, but it went undetected. Doctors decided to take most of the right lung away - and removed almost three quarters.

In February this year Sharon had a severe coughing fit and brought up blood.

Her parents took her to the Royal Gwent Hospital, she was then transferred to the Heath and they took her by ambulance to Hammersmith Hospital - which specialises in lung complaints - for an operation to try to seal off the veins.

My Moyse said: "About three weeks ago she had a massive episode - she wasn't ill, or in pain and there was no warning.

"She had to have a blood transfusion at the Royal Gwent and then she was taken to the Heath and they advised us to go to Hammersmith. When we arrived at Hammersmith she had a massive episode and she never really overcame that. She was sedated and paralysed."

Mr Moyse said surgeons were going to operate to take what was left of the right lung and isolate the left lung. But they discovered there were problems with blood loss from the good left lung which meant they couldn't get any oxygen inside her.

He said: "I knew we needed a miracle and we just prayed for one."

Mr Moyse said his daughter died with him and his wife by her side.

He said: "The staff were absolutely wonderful and the standard of care she received was wonderful."