HORSERIDERS turned out to support a hospital unit where a leukaemia sufferer was cared for during months of treatment.

Susan Chapman's friends at the Ivesley Equestrian Centre, near Esh Winning, raised more than £700 for the chemotherapy and haematology ward at Sunderland Royal Infirmary where she was treated for acute myloid leukaemia.

After spending weeks on the ward, Mrs Chapman, 47, from Washington, is now in remission and able to look forward to the birth of her first grandchild in September.

She attended the event with her husband, Peter, and 19-year-old daughter, Claire, and hopes to be well enough soon to ride her horse Stella, who is at livery at the centre.

She said: "After I was diagnosed last July I was backwards and forwards to the hospital.

"The treatment is difficult enough but when your blood count goes down you have no resistance to infection and that can be worse.

"Last August I spent weeks in the IT unit completely out for the count. I didn't wake up until September.

"Everyone at the hospital was marvellous. They are so calm and supportive."