Donations from Sam's funeral topped £3500. We passed this onto the Elizabeth Loury Ward at Southend hospital where Sam was looked after in her last weeks. This was the newspaper article: FRIENDS and family of a cancer victim have raised £3,500 to thank the hospital ward which looked after her before she died. Samantha Carter, 33, from Wickford, died in October after a brave six-year battle against the disease. Her friends, family and work colleagues wanted to thank the Elizabeth Loury ward, in Southend Hospital, who cared for her. Boyfriend Steve Harvey, 35, of Pepys Court, Wickford, said staff on the ward were second to none in caring for Samantha. He said: "The whole time she was there the care she received was absolutely fantastic. It's been so hard over the past few months - but her family and I have stuck together. "Raising the money was a way of saying thank you to the ward. She was incredibly popular and it's not surprising everyone wanted to donate money in her name. Her colleagues at Ford Dunton raised £1,000." Mr Harvey described Samantha as an "inspiration" to others. He added: "Even during her lowest moments in dealing with her illness, she could reach out and change somebody's day with just a smile or a kind word."