Hartlepool Borough Council's chief personnel officer Joanne Machers relived the moment when her then 18-year-old son Jonathan was diagnosed.

The 6ft 2ins son to Joanne and partner Peter Fanning is now on the mend although he needs 15 more months of medical tests.

But Joanne, 45, recalled the day she found out Jonathan had an illness which could potentially kill him.

"It was in November 2006 and it was four weeks after his 18th birthday. He had fainted a couple of times.

"He is a strapping 18-year-old young man and that is not what strapping 18-year-olds do.

"He was whisked off to accident and emergency."

She said doctors told her it was leukaemia. "I was thinking 'no, you have got it wrong'.

"Within 12 hours he was in the Royal Victoria Infirmary on an intensive programme of chemotherapy.

"They gave us some general statistics on survival rates but to be honest I didn't take it in.

"We just wanted to get over it and focus on our child being the one that makes it through."

Joanne will be among a team of officers from Hartlepool Council trying dragon boat racing on the River Wear in Durham City next Saturday.

They will compete against teams from other local authorities to raise money for children's cancer charities. The event is being coordinated by professional services firm Deloitte.

Joanne said: "I've had reason to spend a lot of time at the children's cancer ward. The work being done there is fantastic."

Peter, who works for South Tyneside Council, added: "Anyone visiting the unit cannot help but admire the work being done."

The event takes place at the Durham Rowing Club between 10am and 4pm.

Twelve hundred children develop cancer in the UK each year, 80 in the north of England. The survival rate for children with cancer was 25 per cent in 1970 and now it is 75 per cent.

Anyone wanting to sponsor the Hartlepool Council team can contact Joanne on 07949 006742.