Eden, 11, passed away at home with her family just moments after being presented with her Reporter Series Champion Children medal.

Eden, of St Paulinus Close, Westtown, received the award for her courage in the face of adversity but had been too poorly to attend the awards ceremony on April 21.

After she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer, in February 2007, Eden braved months of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy with a strength and dignity beyond her years.

Her mum, Rachael Shaw, said: "From the beginning they told us the outlook was absolutely bleak but she fought it for a year and she never moaned.

"For 11 years she blew us apart. She was a delight and I was proud to say she was my daughter. She was an inspiration, she still is.

"I'm just going to miss her so much. I called her my sidekick and now she's gone. It's just so hard. You knew this day was going to come but you never realise how you're going to feel.

"I'd like to thank everybody for their thoughts, their support and everything they have done for the family and Eden. We're just so grateful for what they have done."

Eden's bravery throughout her illness touched the hearts of Reporter Series readers who helped raise £11,000 for the Eden Shaw Appeal.

The appeal was set up to send Eden and her family on a dream holiday or help them to have some special trips but Eden was never well enough to travel to America.

Instead she took her friend Nicole, also being treated at St James' University Hospital, for a limo ride around Leeds, watched Disney on Ice with her family, had a reunion trip with her old classmates and took a tour of the Emmerdale set.

More recently she enjoyed a day of quad biking in Milton Keynes and travelled to Manchester for the filming of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

Eden's family plan to use some of the remaining money for a memorial to Eden and donate the rest to Candlelighters.

Eden's dad Brendan Shaw had also been working on a fairy garden for Eden which the family will continue in her memory.

Her funeral service is on Tuesday at 1pm at St Paulinus Church, Dewsbury.

It will be followed by a burial at Dewsbury Cemetery and a party to celebrate Eden's life at St Paulinus Parochial Hall, High Street, Westtown.

The family ask that men dress in yellow and women in red as Eden did not want anyone to wear any black at her funeral. They also ask that no young children are brought to the service.