A Bromley woman is entering a plus-sized beauty pageant in memory of her sister who died after giving birth.

Chemile Gordon, 38, will travel to Cambridge for the final of Miss Voluptuous UK on September 2, hoping to raise money and awareness for the fund set up to support and care for her niece S’riaah, who was left with brain damage after her traumatic birth.

Her sister, D’lissa Christina, felt labour-like pains 39 weeks into her pregnancy, and visited Lewisham Hospital but was sent home.

Then on October 8, 2015 she was rushed back to hospital, where she was told she was 9cm dilated.

There were complications and she began to bleed heavily, after which she was given an emergency caesarean.

Despite her being transferred to St Thomas’ Hospital, D’lissa’s major organs failed and she died of a cardiac arrest that evening.

S’riaah had suffered such extensive brain damage that doctors believed she might never be able to breathe unaided.

After an agonising week, the family decided to turn off her life support, but when they did she took her first independent breath.

She is now being cared for by her grandparents, Sylvia and Parbeto Parkes.

The family is in the process of registering the D’lissa Christina Princess Foundation as a charity, to help pay for S’riaah’s care and spread awareness.

Chemile said: “The charity means quite a lot to me because it's my sister's legacy. I want to carry that on and try to make sure that this doesn't happen to another family.”

Miss Voluptuous UK is new this year, partnered with the Voluptuous Diva USA pageant.

The competition is open to women who are at least size 14, and Chemile also wants to use this as an opportunity to promote body positivity.

Chemile said: “I'm very nervous because it's my first pageant. I'm hoping to win and I'm looking forward to it. I'm nervous but I just want to get awareness out there about the cause and the fund.”

To contribute to Chemile’s pageant fundraiser click here, or to view the fund for S’riaah click here.