A SINGLE parent who worked hard to support her daughters and overcame breast cancer has been named The Northern Echo’s Mum of the Year.

Hazel Hall, 62, of Gilesgate, Durham City, said last night: “I feel ecstatic, it’s like something unreal.”

She was selected from many mothers across the region to take the title and attended an afternoon tea at Rockliffe Hall yesterday with nine other shortlisted mums.

ITV Tyne Tees presenter Pam Royle and The Northern Echo editor Peter Barron announced Ms Hall as the winner.

Ms Royle said: “Hazel stood out because she is always looking out for not just her family, but her friends and others.

“Being a single parent, she had to juggle family life with working with people with learning difficulties.

“Such is her selflessness that when she had breast cancer, she drove herself every day to her radiotherapy treatment because she didn’t want to trouble anyone else for a lift.”

Daughter Joanne Hall, 38, nominated her mother for the title. When her daughter was five, Ms Hall qualified as a registered nurse, initially working nightshifts.

She went on to work with people with learning difficulties.

Ms Hall has another daughter, Samantha, 26.

In 2009 Ms Hall was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent chemotherapy, losing her hair, and also had surgery. For four weeks she drove herself to Newcastle to receive radiotherapy treatment.

She recovered last year and began looking after her granddaughter while daughter Joanne was at work.

Ms Hall said: “It’s been a rough three years. It was on my granddaughter Hope’s second birthday that I spotted the lump. During that time she was like our ‘hope’, and kept us going.

“The fact that something like that happened made me more of a fighter. I knew that if I stayed positive and had a good attitude I would come through it.”

After she retired, the new Mum of the Year began volunteering with a prisoner rehabilitation charity, Nepacs.

She added: “I feel that my 32 years in learning disability services is of use to them, and it’s something else I can do that is different.

“I like to grab life and run with it now.”

Ms Hall won a pampering break in Rockliffe Hall, including a spa treatment, dinner and breakfast, and overnight stay.

Along with the ten other finalists she received a bouquet of flowers courtesy of Flowers by Nattrass.