FRIENDS of an inspirational Newport girl who died following a battle with cancer let off balloons in her memory at Tredegar Park today.

Libby Fussell, 12, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour, which was made up of a combination of two different types of cancer in October last year.

Libby had two operations in November to remove the tumour and had been undergoing intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales since January.

Libby’s parents, Jason and Sarah, announced that she had died in the early hours of Sunday morning on her Smile With Libby Facebook page.

In memory of Libby, around 70 of Libby’s school friends from St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, let off dozens of multi-coloured balloons.

Paying tribute, one of Libby’s classmates at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, Jessica Barry, 12, said: “She was such an inspiration. She was always smiling when I saw her in school.

“She was really kind and happy.”

Millie Howells, 12, who knew Libby since the age of three, said: "Libby had always been a really close friend of mine.

“When I heard the news I just cried my eyes out - suddenly she was gone. I just really want to say goodbye."

Parent Lisa Pearce, 40, from Newport, whose daughter Lauren was close to Libby, said: “It’s a lovely gesture. It’s hard for a child to lose someone of their own age.

“Libby was a lovely girl. A child any parent would be proud of.”

Another parent, Kim Bourne, whose daughter Kayleigh helped organise the event, added: “They’re all struggling a bit. This is their way of saying goodbye.

 “Our thoughts are with her family. We just hope she can be remembered for the lovely girl she was.”

Michaila Goodwin, 38, the mother of one of Libby’s best friends, Marni, 12, has also paid tribute to the inspirational Newport girl.

Libby and Marni had known each other from the age of two and attended nursery and school together, at St Mary’s Primary School.

Mrs Goodwin would often give Libby and Marni a lift to school and paying tribute, she said Libby was an inspiration to everyone.

She said: “She was my little PA. I’m so scatty brained; she was so organised. I’d give her a lift to school and she’d say, ‘What are we going to do today?’

“Everything that’s good about a child, she had in abundance. She was really special.

"She would walk in and light up a room. She was a little ray of sunshine.

“Every time you think of Libby, there’s a memory there that makes you chuckle and smile. We need to learn through this that we can battle things and still have a smile.”