THE memory of a brave York mother whose determination to slim for her little girl led to her death is living on in cyberspace.

Worried that her size might lead to her three-year-old daughter Melissa being teased at school, Kerry Greaves decided to undergo a weight-loss operation which she hoped would give her life a new dimension – but which instead had heartbreaking consequences.

Problems with the gastric bypass surgery saw her go through 14 operations before she passed away on July 22 from organ failure, with about 150 people mourning her loss at her funeral in York last week.

Now those who knew the 30-year-old from Tang Hall – who was an avid fan of the internet and used it to form friendships across the country – have been expressing their sorrow through an online memorial.

More than 1,200 people have visited a page dedicated to Kerry on the Gonetoosoon.org website, which was set up by her Derby-based friend Dawn Davies.

One of the tributes to the former Burnholme Community College pupil came from Dawn herself, who wrote: “There is not a day goes by that you are not missed.

“Friends like you are hard to find. I found you – I was lucky to have you in my life. You will live forever in my heart. You believed in what you were doing and I believed in you.”

Another message of grief from Kerry’s friend, Karl Fenwick, said: “You were like a sister to me, always giving me great advice, and I will never forget what you have said to me”, while Apesy Bishop wrote: “The hole will not be filled by anybody as sweet, kind, funny and caring as you.”

Kerry’s grieving family, who also live in Tang Hall, said they hope the tragedy will make image-conscious people realise the potential risks when considering a similar operation, despite tragedies caused by such procedures being rare.

“The memorial is such a nice touch and it’s somewhere people can share their memories of Kerry because she was so popular,” said her brother, Kevin.

“It’s amazing how many friends she had and very touching to read what they’ve said about her. Kerry’s death still hasn’t sunk in and it will probably be weeks before it does.”