TWENTY-five years to the day after she opened St Helens' Lilac Centre for Cancer Care, nurse Sue O'Hanlon returned to work there.

Sue's first day back on Wednesday (February 14) involved a big party to celebrate the silver anniversary of the centre - which she originally named.

The Lilac Centre opened on February 14, 1992 at Whiston Hospital, to treat both oncology and haematology patients in the region.

When the centre opened it was treating around 25 to 30 patients a week - and now, located at St Helens Hospital, it treats 250 patients a week.

Mum-of-one Sue, 57, the centre's first manager, left 12 years ago to set up a community IV service in Halton and Knowsley - arranging for patients to receive antibiotics, and other drugs, intravenously in the community.

She said: "I'm coming back as a staff nurse

"It's massively different now - there are more staff, more patients, different treatments...

"I'm looking forward to working with cancer patients again; it's where I feel I belong and what I want to do for the rest of my days."

She added: "It's a very rewarding job, though there can be sad times. You have to learn to switch off."

Mum-of-one Sue, who grew up in St Helens but now lives in Hesketh Bank, qualified as a registered nurse at Whiston Hospital in 1983.

She moved to London to work in the Royal Marsden Hospital in 1985, before returning to Whiston in 1987 to become the trust's first ever oncology nurse specialist.

In the lead-up to the opening of The Lilac Centre, she was a key part of the fundraising team who raised money to help build the unit.

Sue came up with the centre's name after spotting a lilac tree growing outside the original building in Whiston Hospital.

She worked closely with Dr John Tappin, consultant haematologist, until she left the trust in 2005 - and he was part of the team which welcomed her back.

Sue said: "When I received the start date for my new job, I couldn't believe what a coincidence it was. I knew immediately that it was the anniversary of the centre opening.

"I take it as a sign - 25 years on I am returning to my spiritual home and I can't wait to get started again!"