THE parents of brave little cancer sufferer Jade Case are full of admiration for their blue-eyed blonde. For the four-year-old has demonstrated a will to live and understanding beyond her years since she was diagnosed as having neuroblastoma (stomach cancer) just seven weeks ago.

Jade's parents, Phil (32) and 26-year-old Dawn, became concerned when the youngster started vomiting and developed a high fever. Dawn had also noticed a small lump on Jade's pelvis and decided to call out the emergency doctor.

Dawn, who also has a two-year-old Callum, recalls: "The doctor thought Jade had some kind of viral infection. But when the swelling failed to go, we visited our local doctor and she sent us to the casualty department at Alder Hey. She told us that it might have something to do with Jade's appendix, so you can imagine how shocked and distraught we were when the hospital told us that they thought it was cancer.

Since that first visit to Alder Hey Jade has had a biopsy taken which confirmed the cancer was malignant and has started chemotherapy. In the near future she will need to undergo an operation to remove the cancerous cells, followed by more chemotherapy, possibly radiotherapy and if necessary a bone marrow transplant.

Despite facing up to the daunting prospect that their daughter has cancer, doctors have told Dawn and Phil that Jade has a 65 per cent chance of a full recovery.

Before Jade started her chemotherapy Alder Hey gave her mum and dad a booklet to explain what would happen.

Dawn says the book was written specifically for children and in typical story-book fashion it tells how Jade can expect to lose her hair and how other various things will happen to her as the treatment progresses.

To make the trauma of losing her hair that little less to bear, Dawn, who had been growing her hair, decided that it was about time that both women in the family should go for a new image.

They made their visit to the hairdressers together and now the whole family is pulling together to give little Jade all the comfort and support she needs.

PHIL and Dawn have decided to raise money for research into this particular type of cancer by collecting used stamps. Anyone with stamps can send them to: Mr and Mrs Case, 20 Singleton Avenue, Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 9DA.

LITTLE Jade, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment, is pictured here with mum and dad, Dawn and Phil.

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