A ‘SUPER star’ youngster who is suffering from a rare cancer is making a ‘positive’ recovery while receiving treatment in the USA.

The family of five-year-old Esmee Whiteside from Darwen said they were ‘elated’ when they found out a tumour behind her eye had shrunk 60 per cent after just a few weeks of treatment.

Doctors said she is suffering from a rare soft tissue sarcoma which affects around 60 children a year in the UK.

Esmee, her mum Emma, dad Westley Whittaker and her two brothers Bobby-Lee and Spencer are set to be out in Oklahoma for three months where the youngster is receiving proton beam therapy, which is not available in the UK.

The family named the tumour ‘Trudy the Intruder’ and have had t-shirts printed with the slogan ‘let’s kick Trudy’s a##’.

Emma, 27, said: “I am absolutely elated and feeling so proud. She is on the right track and it’s positive.

“Esmee is well and truly kicking big fat Trudy’s ass. She is a super star.

“Even when she has been having blood transfusions she has still managed to smile.

“She has been in hospital with a high temperature and her blood pressure was dangerously low at one point which did give us a fright.

“I am so proud to say she is my daughter. I love her millions.”

Earlier this month Emma described how her daughter was in ‘constant pain’ but is trying to make sure she ‘lives her life to the full’.

Following the proton beam therapy, more months of chemotherapy and blood transfusions will be needed.

It was initially thought that Esmee had a stye in her eye and she was given antibiotics, but it continued to grow.

The family were told it was non-cancerous and she was booked in for an operation at Manchester Eye Hospital but doctors then told them they feared it was malignant.

Pupils at Esmee’s school, Avondale Primary, recently held a crazy hair day and raised £1,000.

Emma said: “I’d like to thank everyone at home for their continued support. All the words on social media mean so much to Esmee and she loves reading them all.

“We have such an amazing community response."