Madison Allan, the seven-year-old girl who captured the heart of East Lancashire, has died.

She lost her brave fight for life yesterday morning – hours after her eighth Christmas battling the aggressive neuroblastoma cancer which was diagnosed when she was 10 months old.

Her family – mum Samantha and dad Mark – had asked for prayers late on Friday evening, when her condition deteriorated and doctors told them to prepare for the worst.

In the past two weeks the ‘spaghetti-like’ tumour wrapped around her vital organs had grown four centimetres, and she had lost the use of a kidney.

Grandmother Alison Foster, 60, said Madison died in an ambulance on the way to the Royal Blackburn Hospital at around 10.45am.

“She had been vomiting and she asked Samantha to take her to hospital. I think she knew.

“I got a phone call at about 9.20am and it all happened very quickly after that. She died in the ambulance.

“She looks so peaceful now, she looks so beautiful,” she said.

A statement on The Madison Allan Appeal website yesterday said: “Madison passed away this morning at 10.45am. She is at peace and pain free, rest in peace our little sweetheart, we love you lots and lots xxxxxx.”

During her short life, Madison and her family worked tirelessly to raise funds for charity - at first for the Five Star Scanner Appeal to fund a new MRI scanner at Manchester Royal Infirmary, and then to pay for Madison’s trial chemotherapy treatment abroad.

It was a chance meeting with Darwen stallholder Jill Kirkham, a Five Star fundraiser, that lead to Madison’s family raising £60,000 towards the total.

They took on a series of events including two skydives, charity auctions and even inspired a naked calendar of Darwen Market traders.

Madison’s Oscar-themed birthday parties at the Whitehall Hotel in Darwen banked thousands of pounds as people paid to celebrate with a host of celebrities, including Jill’s best friend, Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati.

Shobna said: “My heart goes out to her dad Mark, her mum Samantha and her sister Scarlett at this very sad time.

“Madison was a very brave little girl, my inspiration and my friend. It is important to remember her struggle, but let’s not forget her smile.”

Jill paid tribute to “a beautiful, beautiful little girl” and to the determination of her parents.

She said: “Life was richer for knowing Madison. Through knowing her, lifelong friendships have been made.

“Our hearts go out to her family, especially Sam, Mark and Scarlett.

“May she dance in the skies and her laughter fill the winds with her cheeky giggle and beautiful smile.”

She added: “Mark and Samantha’s determination to help Madison fight this disease has been truly inspirational.”

Madison’s story also inspired the East Lancashire community to raise over £100,000 for The Madison Allan Appeal - towards trial chemotherapy treatment at Greifswald Hospital in Germany.

In May 2009 it was discovered that the tumour had begun to grow again - to three times its original size.

Then four-years-old, Madison, underwent four intensive bouts of chemotherapy, but it had no effect.

A last-chance 12-hour operation was aborted in November 2009, when she began losing too much blood during surgery.

As the tumour grew, pressing on her stomach, liver, and damaging one of her kidneys, Madison’s family decided that her only chance was to pay for her to have high-tech treatment not currently available in the UK.

They set about trying to raise £250,000 to send her to either America or Germany, where a surgeon would attempt, once again, to remove the tumour from her stomach.

In January 2011, it appeared that the initial treatment had worked, as the tumour shrank by two centimetres all the way around, and she began to dance, sing and gain weight.

But by September, the tumour was growing once again, spreading to the inside of her skull.

Madison was well enough to enjoy a trip to Lapland to meet Father Christmas on December 8, but when she returned her condition deteriorated.