When my sister Penny and I were children we used to dig for worms in Gran’s garden.

Like most sisters we fought like cat and dog as teenagers but I always knew I could turn to her and she could turn to me – it’s that bond sisters have.

Penny was beautiful with her gorgeous red hair but, like me, she wasn’t really a girly girl. She was the one I downed pints with or had a silly arm wrestle with; she was the one I phoned if I had a problem because she always understood. That’s what I miss the most.

Penny found a lump in her left breast in June 2006.

The treatment made her physically sick but apart from that you would never have known she was ill. She didn’t let it stop her living her life.

She had her low moments but she kept them for her close friends and family.

In early 2007, Penny went into remission but the following February she found another lump, this time in her right breast. She had the lump removed and underwent a double mastectomy.

She had an 11-hour operation to remove and reconstruct both breasts. That was the only time I saw she was scared.

When she found the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes I saw the desperation on her face.

She didn’t let it stop her, though, and she went skiing in January this year. But tests on her return revealed the cancer had spread to her spine.

I don’t think she ever accepted it was terminal. She put on such a brave face right up until the last moments.

She didn’t want to know exactly how long she had left but doctors said they hoped to give her a few Christmases. She lasted three months.

Penny always said her video diaries were cathartic. Deep down she thought they could be used to help other people going through what she did.

Penny wasn’t shy about her cancer and she didn’t mind showing it to the world through her diaries.

She wanted to raise awareness of cancer and the physical side of the fight so people understand.

The diaries are tremendously inspirational.

I didn’t realise how much Penny did for other people until the letters came flooding in after she died.

She has inspired so many people to start fundraising for cancer charities and I hope that by sharing her video diaries she can inspire even more.

Life is hard but Penny never let it get her down.

She always got the most out of her life and she put up an amazing fight.