Sharon had had the condition in her lung from birth

Sharon Moyse, from Bettws near Newport, south Wales, was only diagnosed with the condition when she was 17.

Doctors told her parents they had never come across a similar case.

She had an operation to remove three-quarters of her right lung two years ago, but died earlier this month.

The condition, known as a haemangioma, was only discovered when Sharon started coughing up blood and was taken to Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital.

She was transferred to the Hammersmith Hospital in London, which specialises in treating lung conditions.

They removed three-quarters of her lung and for over two years she seemed to be coping with the condition.

Her mother Kate, 59, said doctors were unable to diagnose the condition at first.

We'd been up to London so many times and brought her back but this time she just didn't come around Kate Moyse

"I took her to the Gwent [hospital]. They kept her in and did blood tests and all the rest.

"She'd come home for a couple of weeks and it would start again.

"This went on for six months. They did more tests but they couldn't tell us anything."

Even when Sharon was taken to the Hammersmith Hospital, at first doctors referred to her condition as an "abnormality on the lungs".

"Then when they opened her up, they said it was a birthmark - they said she was living on a knife edge."

Following the operation, she was able to go to college and to continue with her favourite hobby, Irish dancing.

Sharon's favourite hobby was Irish dancing

Mrs Moyse said: "She was fine. It never bothered her. As soon as she'd bring her blood up, she'd be back watching the telly and having a drink."

Then at the start of May, Sharon suffered a serious bleeding episode which Mrs Moyse said left her "swollen, as if someone had beaten her up".

She was taken by ambulance to Hammersmith Hospital but she never came round from the attack.

Doctors told the family the birthmark had spread into her left lung and even if she recovered that time, she would only have a maximum of 12 months to live.

Mrs Moyse added: "We didn't have a clue she was that ill.

"We'd been up to London so many times and brought her back but this time she just didn't come around. They worked on her and did what they could but they couldn't do more.