Candlelit vigil for Amber Rose Cliff as cervical cancer petition passes 125,000 mark

Amber was just 25 when she lost her battle with cervical cancer at the weekend and a petition started by her heartbroken family has sailed past the 100,000 mark.

The Gentoo Sunderland housing officer had visited the doctor several times about her symptoms, but was refused a smear test because she was too young.

But, her concerned family paid for the test to be carried out privately when she was 21 and it confirmed the worst that there was a cancerous tumour in her cervix, which had been growing for years.

Depsite a gruelling battle of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and operations, the disease spread to her lymph nodes, lungs and throat, eventally takin her life.

A petition to create Amber’s Law, giving women under the age of 25 the chance to have a smear test, is being headed by her brother, Josh Cliff, 27, and following national interest has now got more than 125,000 signatures.

Josh said: “I want to say thank you to everyone, we have smashed the 100,000 point in just three days, now it is really building momentum just keep sharing it everyone.

“I just cannot believe it, I really appreciate what everyone has done. It has been a joint effort by everyone to make this work.”

In support of the family’s campaign the Wearside community have organised a candle vigil for Amber, who lived in Ashbrooke, to be held on Sunday, January 15, between 8pm and 10pm.

People will be lighting a candle and sharing a photo of it on social media with the hashtags: #amberslaw #ripamberrosecliff #cervicalcancerawareness.

Amber’s pregnant younger sister, Cameron Cliff, 19, has accompanied her brother to London to spread the word of the petition for Amber’s Law.

The Northumbria University law student is planning to do the Race for Life in June, just a few months after the birth of her baby, to raise money for Cancer Research UK, she already has pledges of more than £4,000, but is hoping to break the £10,000 target.

The heartbroken teenager said nothing will ever take away the pain of knowing her child and sister will never meet.

She said Amber was devastated when she found out she wouldn’t be able to have children because of the cancer and Cameron had offered to have a baby for her one day.

Cameron said Amber was not just a big sister, but a best friend as well and was even going to be her birthing partner.

She said: “She looked after me as a big sister. We went to a festival together, we’d go out for food and drinks, we used to share clothes.”

A Just Giving page she set up a few days ago has already raised almost £4,000 towards Cancer Research UK.

Anyone who would like to make a donation can visit Cameron’s Just Giving page by searching “cam cliff” on justgiving.com.

The petition can be signed here: https://www.change.org/p/the-government-lower-the-age-of-cervical-cancer-screening-to-18-for-high-risk-groups