THE best friends of a young brain tumour victim who fought to receive an expensive cancer drug on the NHS led tributes at her funeral.

Sara Owen and Rachel Koos struggled to contain their emotions as they remembered 21-year-old Rosie Farrell. The qualified sports therapist, from Tile Cross, was twice denied the so-called “miracle drug” Avaston on the NHS because of its £1,800-a-month cost. Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust finally relented last October after her family claimed in the Birmingham Mail that the Trust had been shamed.

But Rosie, a former Whitesmore Secondary pupil, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on September 6.

More than 250 mourners squeezed into Yardley Crematorium to celebrate her life yesterday.

Sara, who met Rosie at pre-school aged four, said: “You were truly a beautiful girl who inspired me every day.

“Although you were dealt a cruel hand in life you just got on with it.”

Sara and Rachel shared memories of parties and sleepovers.

The funeral procession into the crematorium was led by a horse-drawn carriage, with pink feathers and bows on the horses and the coffin was brought in to Dean Martin’s That’s Amore.

Parents James and Tracy Farrell and brother Ross, a soldier in the Mercian Regiment, chose not to address the congregation, asking the Rev Jill Williams to speak on their behalf.

She said: “Rosie loved life and always enjoyed shopping. Rosie would shop and mum and dad would drop.

“Christmas was a very special time, Rosie would love to treat family to little gifts but not just at Christmas.

“When her consultant celebrated the birth of his baby boy Rosie went out to buy a gift.

“This showed the kindness of this loving young girl, she always thought of others not just herself.”

The family shared memories of Rosie’s 21st birthday celebrations, cracking open champagne at 4am and her brother Ross’s 25th birthday party as well as family holidays to St Ives and Newquay.

Rosie’s mum Tracy asked Rev Williams to read out a text her daughter had sent.

It read: “I love you mum. Science has proved that sugar melts in water so please don’t walk in the rain because I might lose my best friend.”