A FAMILY raising money in memory of a teenager who tragically died of an epileptic fit is preparing for one final push to break through their £35,000 fundraising target.

The Sam Ahearn Appeal was launched as a legacy for the 19-year-old, who died in July 2009 after falling downstairs while having a seizure at her home in Dumers Lane, Radcliffe.

A post-mortem examination showed the Holy Cross College student died from a condition known as SUDEP — sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

On Saturday, 30 of Samantha’s friends and family joined together in a fundraising walk in aid of epilepsy charity SUDEP Action.

The group walked from McDonald’s, in Riverside Retail Park, to the Bierkeller bar in Manchester, raising hundreds of pounds towards their target.

Samantha’s mum Lynn McGoff is now confident of passing the £35,000 barrier within the next week, once all of the donations have been tallied up.

Lynn, whose other children Adam, aged 21, and Alice, aged seven, have been heavily involved in the fundraising, said: “We were pleased with how the walk went on Saturday.

“We had a lot of support from lots of our friends, as we always do, and we’re now at a point where I’m pretty certain we can reach our target in a matter of days.”

A Just Giving online fundraising page set up for the appeal in 2010 has collected more than £34,500.

Having originally set themselves a target of just £500, Lynn, who celebrated her birthday on the day of the walk, says she is still amazed by the continued level of support the campaign receives.

The 51-year-old, of Hutchinson Close, added: “We’ve raised more than I was expecting we would by this point, and it’s really incredible to think of how much we’ve collected over the last few years and the number of people supporting us.”

To donate visit: www.justgiving.com/samahearn/