A doting mum has died following a brave five-year fight against cancer.

Claire De Luca, 36, was diagnosed with tonsil cancer only nine months after giving birth to her second daughter. The cancer spread to other parts of her neck and head, then eventually to her brain.

Despite a bad prognosis from the outset, Claire, a director of the Bradford-based family business, Mario's hair salon, battled through five cycles of chemotherapy and four rounds of radiotherapy.

The treatment, combined with her positive attitude, afforded the devoted mum precious time with her husband Adrian De Luca, 40, and their daughters, Sophie, six, and Thea, five, who attend St Joseph's RC Primary School, in Brighouse.

By coincidence, Claire's mother Maureen Lockwood was diagnosed with cervical cancer at roughly the same time and the pair underwent chemotherapy sessions side-by-side in Cookridge Hospital, Leeds.

Claire died at Cookridge last week after being struck down with pneumonia, an illness her body was too weak to fight. Her funeral was taking place today.

Adrian, of Birkhouse Road, Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse, said: "Claire's prognosis was so bad from day one but we have got children aged five and six, so she has battled on through five cycles of chemotherapy and four different cycles of radiotherapy.

"They don't usually give that much. The suffering she has gone through is incredible. For example, she had no saliva to eat with, but she was always positive throughout.

"She was a devoted mother who spent a lot of time and effort doing things for the school. She was 100 per cent committed to the children.

"Thea was not even one when Claire was diagnosed.

"Claire's mum had cancer at the same time, which made it doubly difficult because her mum was looking after the children. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer and they were both having chemo together. That was quite a strange situation and even the oncologist said it was unheard of.

"My mother-in-law has had the all- clear, which is lovely, and her hair has grown back."

Adrian, also a director of Mario's, which has salons in Kirkgate and Market Street, Bradford, has carried out lots of charity work for cancer funds and research, including taking part in the Great North Run.

He said: "Most of the staff at the salon know Claire so they all want to go to the funeral but we are going to keep both salons open with minimum staffing and donate any takings to the Head and Neck Cancer Fund.

"We were going to close for the day as a mark of respect, but I thought she would not have wanted that when we could stay open instead and do some good."

Claire, a former pupil of Brighouse Girls' Grammar School, used to have her own beauty therapy business and taught beauty therapy at various colleges before becoming involved with Mario's.

She had been with Adrian for 20 years and the couple married 14 years ago.

Adrian said: "She had finished the chemo and, in the meantime, I had taken her down to the Royal Marsden hospital in London."

The hospital is renowned for its excellence in cancer care and the couple sought many opinions on Claire's condition and treatment programme, notably from experts in the US, Germany and France.

Adrian said: "She was never fit enough to travel to the US, but we sent the scans over and got their opinions. When your wife is going through that, you will try anything to help. When the person you care about is ill for five years, it changes your life.

"One of the expert opinions we got from a hospital in Versailles, France, actually changed the course of her treatment about four years ago."

Requiem Mass was due to be held at 10am today at St Joseph's RC Church, Brighouse, followed by interment at Clifton Cemetery, Brighouse.

e-mail: will.kilner@bradford.newsquest.co.uk