THE mother of Swindon girl Inderjeet Bharaj, who collapsed and died of an asthma attack as she walked to an aerobics class, is planning a massive fundraising programme in her memory.

If Balbir Bharaj has her way, Swindon's new hospital will have thousands of pounds worth of specialist equipment to help treat asthmatics and people with other breathing disorders.

Inderjeet, known as Indu, was days away from her 16th birthday when she collapsed in a lane just half a mile from her Mulcaster Avenue home.

Balbir has hired the Croft Sports Hall for a fundraising event on September 21.

Her aim is to ensure that no other family in the town has to endure the sort of tragedy as she did in February a tragedy whose impact will never go away.

Balbir, who also has two sons, Kay, 20, and 12-year-old Karanveer, said: "Some days, it is very bad.

"I am trying to be really strong for the children because they need me more and more.

"You just can't imagine what it is like it seems so unjust and cruel.

"I have just got to deal with it, and the only way of getting through it is to have the full support of everybody.

"It is probably one of the worst tragedies that anybody can ever have to deal with, because nobody ever thinks their child is going to go before them.

"She was just starting out, she was very intelligent and beautiful and she had everything going for her.

"Not only did she have the looks, she had the personality she had an impact on such a lot of people's lives.

"I think that was proved on the day of the funeral."

On the day of Indu's funeral, more than 700 people paid their respects, whether at the family home, the Sikh temple in Gorse Hill or Kingsdown Crematorium in Stratton St Margaret.

She was mourned by everybody who knew her during her tragically short life her immediate and extended family, neighbours, friends and fellow pupils and teachers from Bradon Forest School and Prior Park Pre-Prep School in Cricklade.

They travelled in more than 100 cars and two coaches.

Such was the grief that even the police officers who were called to the scene of her collapse attended to pay their respects.

Her death came only four years after her father, Hardeep, lost an 11-month battle with cancer.

Indu, whose ambition had been to be an airline pilot or air hostess, had suffered from asthma from an early age, and had undergone several bouts of hospital treatment for the condition, which was controlled by steroids.

Although her condition was always worse in cold weather, there was no warning of what was to happen on her final day.

She had been scheduled to meet her cousin, Harpreet Bhui, during her walk to her aerobics class.

In a mobile telephone call, she told her cousin she would meet her in 10 minutes.

But Indu never kept that appointment, and died minutes later in Tregoze Way.

A boy passing on his bicycle discovered the scene and called an ambulance, and a nurse passing in her car tried in vain to resuscitate her.