A DYING mother of two left heartfelt letters, diaries and scrapbooks to help guide her two girls through life.
Elisa Ager began penning the notes of advice shortly after being diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago.
The primary school teacher, of Sutton, east Hull, even planned her own funeral and wrote a touching poem about her children, which was read out at her funeral.
Devoted Elisa, 41, wrote: "I love you and I'm sorry that I can't be there. To mark the milestones, to cry, to cheer, to laugh."
She made cards for her daughters, Erin, nine, and Katy, seven, and sorted out gifts for every birthday until they reach 18.
Her mum, Marguerite Clark, 69, said her daughter, who died last month, did not waste a minute after being told she might not live to see her girls grow up.
"Being ill made her look at life differently" she said.
"She saw the opportunities that were
there and the positive things she could do.
"Elisa looked for the silver lining in every situation."
Writing a diary and letters helped her to come to terms with being told doctors could not do any more to help in her fight against cancer.
"She would sometimes write in her diary every day about dealing with cancer," Marguerite said.
"It always depended on how she felt but even when she lost the use of her right hand at Christmas, she continued to use her computer to type letters.
"The girls haven't read much yet because it's still very raw for them but we've sat together and looked through the diary extracts.
"Elisa wrote about how she felt and the nature of the illness.
"There's also advice for the girls about fashion and boys for when they become teenagers, and her 'easy-peasy meatball recipe', which they love."
Elisa, who worked at Biggin Primary School in Bransholme before falling ill, also planned a last trip with her children to Walt Disney World in Florida.
She was told her travel insurance had been cancelled and went to the ombudsman for help.
But Marguerite said the fight was worth it and it gave the family long-lasting memories of special times together.
"She wanted to spend as much time with her girls as possible and they also went to see her after she died," she said.
"Although we knew it was coming, it was a real shock when she collapsed on the kitchen floor. It's a godsend the girls weren't there, but they didn't get chance to say goodbye."
Marguerite also said her daughter had a sense of humour when it came to dealing with cancer.
Elisa wrote in plans for her wake that she wanted people to celebrate her life in a pub with "decent real ale" and "good food".
She wrote: "I don't want boring sausages rolls and wilted sarnies."
Marguerite said: "That was Elisa all over and it made us all laugh.
"But we also hope what she has written will bring comfort, not only to the girls, but to those who have also been told they have cancer."
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