Bristol mum's strip for charity

A Bristol mum has stripped off to raise money to help find a cure for a life-threatening disease her daughter suffers from.

Amanda Carter has posed as Miss October for a naked calendar in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Her seven-year-old daughter Abigail Brown was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) when she was eight weeks old and the 40-year-old hopes that money raised through the calendar will fund research that will prolong her daughter's life.

Ms Carter joined 13 other mums to strip off for the cause in their children's names.

CF is an inherited disease that clogs up internal organs – particularly the lungs and digestive system – with thick, sticky mucus, making it hard to breathe or digest food. More than 8,000 people are affected by CF in the UK.

Ms Carter, of Kingswood, features on three of the pictures in the calendar, which has now gone on sale, including a group shot with a CF Trust banner and wearing Santa hats for December.

In 2006 her daughter helped launch the Growing Hope rose, created in support of CF, and in Ms Carter's solo shot for October she is pictured with a vase of 65 red roses.

Ms Carter said: "It was absolutely amazing seeing the calendar. I never thought I would feel the way I did about it and still cannot believe I did it. But I felt quite chuffed to see the calendar and to know that I had done it for my daughter.

"At the launch there were all these mums who had been so nervous when we had our photographs taken and it was amazing to see the final result."

The naked fundraising calendar was the idea of a mother in Nottinghamshire whose two sons have the disease and is a dedicated fund raiser.

Ms Carter was keen to do something for the CF Trust because the rest of the family have done their bit previously.

She said: "When Abigail was diagnosed I felt pretty hopeless. I had a perfect baby but was told she had a life-shortening disease.

"I threw my life into caring for her and keeping her well, that is the best thing we can do. But we also have to think about her future and that means helping to raise money."

Her partner, Neil, who is known as Charlie, has taken part in a marathon in the Scilly Isles for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, which supports people with the disease and funds research.

To buy a calendar, priced £7.95, click here.