THERE are still times when devoted mum Paula Dolan swears she sees a fleeting glimpse of her beloved little girl Lucy dancing in front of her bedroom mirror.

The image, so vivid in her mind, is one that will stay with her for the rest of her life.

Lucy died just over three years ago from aggressive rhabdomyosarcoma, a relatively rare cancer that starts in muscle tissue cells.

In Lucy's case, the disease affected parts of her heart and lung.

She passed away peacefully at home, in the arms of her mum, on November 10, 2011. But for her family in East Kilbride, little Lucy's legacy lives on.

Paula, 31, and her army of volunteers have raised thousands of pounds in Lucy's name for vital research and this May they'll take part in their fifth Race For Life for Cancer Research UK at Glasgow Green. Paula is certain she'll have her own little guardian angel encouraging her from above.

She said: "I still feel Lucy around me. No-one can describe the pain of losing a child until you go through it, but it's a comfort to have that sense that she's still with me in a way. Like the image I have of her dancing in my bedroom - it's the way I want to remember her.

"She was just the most amazing little girl, so full of life, always dancing and making up little routines.

"I really felt this need to do something to help raise money as soon as Lucy was diagnosed, and I felt the same way after we lost her.

"Even though it was too late for my little girl, I feel like I have to keep doing what I can to prevent this happening to someone else's daughter, someone else's son."

Lucy was right there by her mum's side at the family's first Race For Life back in 2011, walking where she could, taking rest in her buggy when she got tired.

The runners wore T-shirts bearing the words, "Running for Lucy," while the little one had her own special slogan on hers - "I am Lucy".

The following year's event was a tough one for Paula to get through, having lost her first-born child only five months before.

She explained: "I broke down as I crossed the finish line. There was a guy there high-fiving everyone as they crossed the line and it just made me think about the previous year, how I'd lifted Lucy up to do her high five.

"I miss her so so much."

This year will see the family's biggest fundraising effort to date. From 10 volunteers in the team five years ago, this year there will be about 25 for Team Lucy Lu lining up at Glasgow Green to give it their all.

And Paula wants those numbers to increase until she has "Lucy's Army", all fighting for one goal - to beat cancer sooner.

It was back in June 2010 that mum Paula and her ex-partner, David Anderson, 31, Lucy's dad, began to suspect Lucy's breathing wasn't quite right.

At first, pneumonia was diagnosed but when she rapidly deteriorated, she was rushed to Yorkhill Hospital.

A SCAN revealed a mass on one side of her heart that was causing the organ to fail and Paula and David were prepared for the worst as their little girl was taken in for emergency open-heart surgery.

Miraculously, she made it through the complicated procedure, but there was still awful news to come.

Lucy was in intensive care when specialists explained that at 11cm her tumour was both sizeable and cancerous.

Paula said: "I just felt numb. I went on to autopilot, asking all these questions about what was next.

"It was as though it was happening to someone else. It was only later when I had to explain to the rest of my family that I broke down. It all just seemed so unreal."

Lucy did well on an intensive chemo regime and by early 2011, after five follow-up weeks of daily radiotherapy, her tumour had shrunk considerably to the size of a thumbnail.

Sadly, it wasn't the end of the punishment on her tiny body. In April that year, while bathing Lucy, Paula found a lump on her torso. Tests revealed a further tumour on her lung and because the tot had already had such intense treatment, further chemo wasn't recommended.

When doctors used the word "terminal", it broke Paula and David's hearts as they faced the agonising decision to halt treatment.

Paula said: "Stopping treatment was the most difficult thing to do, but it was also the only choice to make. It wasn't about quantity of life, but quality of life. We wanted her to enjoy what time she had left.

"We took her on day trips when she was well enough and for the most part she had the energy to do all the things she loved, dancing, singing, playing - generally getting to enjoy being a four-year-old.

"We've all got such precious memories of those last few months with her."

After Lucy passed away, Paula and David asked mourners at her funeral to wear pink and purple, their girl's favourite colours.

And that spirit of celebrating their little one's life still goes on today.

Paula, now married to husband Michael, 34, welcomed a new member to the family last September - son Adam, now six months old.

And she keeps in contact with David and his new wife Jillian, who have two daughters, four-year-old Sophie and three-year-old Poppy, Lucy's sisters.

Both Paula and David are making sure that Lucy's siblings know all about their big sister in heaven.

Paula said: "I have pictures of Lucy everywhere and point them out to Adam all the time.

"When he's older, I'll tell him all about the big sister who'd have loved him so much."

Women are urged to join in funding effort...

ENTRIES are now open for Cancer Research UK's Race for Life at Glasgow Green on Sunday, May 10 - the biggest Race For Life in the UK.

Last year, almost 46,000 women took part throughout Scotland and the events raised a fantastic £2.9 million.

This year, organisers are appealing for even more women and girls to stride out to beat cancer sooner.

Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK's Scottish spokesperson, said: "Race for Life events are not competitive.

"They are not about being fit or fast. It's about women coming together in the fight against cancer. You can walk, jog or run.

"We know that Scottish women are up for the challenge."

To enter Race for Life today go to raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit cancerresearchuk.org.