THE family of a teenager who died tragically after suffering an epileptic fit have vowed to continue fundraising after hitting their £35,000 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.

Sam’s family and friends have been fundraising for epilepsy charity SUDEP Action since 2010, and mum Lynn McGoff has thanked their legions of supporters for their incredible support.

She said: “It’s pretty amazing to think that we are still getting this amount of support after so many years.

“After a year or so of fundraising it can become difficult to keep getting people involved, and it’s very important that we keep running regular events to jog people’s memories.

“I’m really overwhelmed to think that we have managed to raise so much money.”

The remarkable £35,000 worth of donations has far surpassed the appeal’s original target of £500, and the fundraising is set to go on for the foreseeable future.

Lynn, aged 51, of Hutchinson Close, added: “I’m going to up the target to £40,000 now. As long as I’m breathing, I’m not going to stop raising money for SUDEP.

“To have come this far has been an amazing experience and an incredible achievement for all of us, so I’m not about to stop now.

“I don’t know if we can get to £40,000 anytime soon but let’s hope we will soon enough.

“I never imagined we would get anywhere near this figure, but doing so well has given us the will to carry on and hopefully there is still a lot more to come.”

The money raised is going to support research into epilepsy and supporting bereaved families, with SUDEP Action’s current initiatives including an app to allow epilepsy sufferers to report risks and seek help, and a wearable monitor that triggers an alarm if breathing stops.

Lynn added: “Whenever we read of a young person dying because of epilepsy it’s like going back in time to what happened with Sam and it’s heartbreaking to think that this happens to so many families.

“It’s amazing what a difference these things can make to a person suffering with epilepsy.

“There’s nothing that can be done for us now, but our concern is for other people going through the same thing we did.”

To donate, people can log on to https://www.justgiving.com/samahearn/