The feisty 42-year-old's bold approach led to several personal audiences with Mr Blair and a policy change which saw the National Blood Service receive government funding to boost its bone marrow register.

Carol made her appeal because her youngest daughter, Alice, now 16, was suffering from severe aplastic anaemia and was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Several years on and Alice, who is taking her GCSEs, is in remission but still suffers as a result of her condition.

Carol is married to policeman husband Dean, 45 and they have another daughter, Chloe, 18. The couple has also fostered eight children.

Carol works for several charities and fundraising trusts, including the Dewsbury-based Friends Indeed organisation. She will shortly be returning to work with children and families for Kirklees Council.

The one thing I could not live without is my family, because they are my life. Without them I could not function. I'd also have to say my mascara. It's something I do daily whether I'm going out or staying in. I feel dressed when I've got that on.

My first job was running my own cafe, The Rendezvous, on Kingsway, Ossett. My father, Harry, bought it for me after I left college and I ran it for a couple of years. It was a transport cafe. I was 19 and had just done a course at Wakefield College in hotel management.

I am most proud of my daughters Chloe and Alice. I just think it's remarkable what they have been through, Chloe with seeing her younger sister be so ill and Alice being ill. They are both lovely people and they don't have a bad word to say about anyone. They have an amazingly fearless take on life and they are both so funny, they make me laugh constantly.

The best thing about Leeds has to be the shopping. If you fancy doing a bit of retail therapy and having a break to grab something to eat, it's the best place to be.

I don't really relax that much. I enjoy having people round and I also like to read. I am reading three books at the moment: one by Penny Smith, called Coming Up Next, one by Cathy Kelly called Lessons in Heartbreak and one by Caroline Archer called First Steps inParenting the Child Who Hurts. I think it's nice to read different books at the same time. It's like flicking between TV channels, it depends what mood you are in and you get different things from each.

The best piece of advice I can think of is to count your pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. It's something my dad used to say, although I can't say I've followed his advice.

I last cried this week, laughing at Alice. She was making me laugh. Some of the things she comes out with are hilarious. It's just how she sees life. She's so light-minded and care-free and fearless, really. She talks about doing things like bungee jumping and parachuting out of an aeroplane.

My philosophy on life is to treat people how you expect to be treated.

If I could meet anyone living or dead it would be my grandmother, Mary, my mum's mum. I was 16 when she died. She was about 76. She parented us a lot in childhood and when she passed away, she left a big void. I'd love to have her back in my life.

There's not much people don't know about me, basically because I have been in the news a lot, probably too much. I think it would have to be that me and Dean are foster parents. It's something I always wanted to do, even before having Alice. After I had Alice, I was very poorly for a couple of years. I had severe post-natal depression. It's the worst thing that's ever happened in my life. I had a complete physical and mental breakdown. People will be surprised to know that because I think they have this impression when they look at me of being quite strong. I remember I would go shopping and I would have to count things into the trolley and count them back out again. Sometimes, I'd have to just leave the trolley in the supermarket, because of the anxiety. I remember when I finally made it all the way round and thinking to myself, 'I haven't done that in a long time.'

My joke is: Doctor, Doctor I feel like a pair of curtains! Oh pull yourself together.

I do remember my first kiss. It was at the Dewsbury roller-shed place and I was about 14 and it was a Saturday afternoon.


Favorite things...

Favourite food: Fresh vegetables cooked any way

Favourite programme: Anything by Linda La Plante, Ten Years Younger, or any gardening/cooking programmes

Favourite author: Patricia Scanlon (Double Wedding)

Favourite actor: Jack Nicholson and Judi Dench

Star sign: Scorpio