THE mum of a little girl finally in remission after a gruelling battle with cancer is raising money for other children with the disease.
Charlotte Jackson, six, was diagnosed with an acute form of leukaemia just before her fourth birthday.
But the West Moors schoolgirl has now finished a two-year course of chemotherapy and doctors hope they will be able to declare her cancer-free in five years.
Mum Sarah will host a fundraising day for the Poole and District Children’s Cancer Fund on September 7.
She said: “Charlotte finished her treatment in July, and is now in remission.
“I just wanted to put a day together to celebrate, because it’s been such a long, hard road. We’ve had so much help from the community and there are so many people to say thank you to.”
But even though the youngster has finished her exhausting daily chemotherapy sessions, she faces more heartache after a rare skin reaction has left her allergic to the sun.
Sarah said: “Charlotte is doing really, really well.
“Unfortunately, because she has been on chemo for so long, she has a common skin complaint on her face and neck, which doctors expected. However, it’s made her extremely intolerant to the sun, so she’s been indoors a lot recently. It’s awful because she was just starting to play like any other little girl her age, so it’s really hard for her to stay inside after that.”
Doctors will also monitor her for other side-effects of her chemotherapy, including scans to see if her heart has been damaged.
Sarah said: “Our lives have suddenly opened up to us again.”
The fundraising day will take place at Pinehurst Community Church from 1pm until 4.30pm, and there will be something for everyone, with face-painting, bouncy castles and more.
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