Leah rings the bell at Alder Hey after 'miracle' recovery

Leah, from Bold, had suffered back pain with her appetite and energy levels also affected from November 2018.

She was diagnosed with an unknown tumour which ran from her spine into her abdomen and around her arteries in her legs as well as the bottom of her aorta.

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With the tumour not having an official name, medical staff did not know how to directly treat it.

Leah, a pupil at St Bartholemew's, in Rainhill, underwent chemotherapy treatment, but it had little effect.

Alder Hey surgeons took Leah's case to a meeting with other medical professionals from across the country to discuss what to do next.

Surgeons from Great Ormond Street, Bristol and Manchester Hospitals had said that surgery was "impossible" for Leah as it would be "highly unlikely to be 'in her best interests'".

Leah in hospital

Despite this advice, surgeons decided, after speaking to Leah's parents Stephen and Claire and explaining that there was only a 10 per cent chance of them being able to remove the tumour, to take the chance.

Three surgeons from Alder Hey and one from Liverpool Royal operated on Leah, and after eight hours they were told that surgeons had managed to remove most of the "impossible" tumour.

Leah and dad Stephen

After undergoing radiotherapy at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre everyday for six and a half weeks, Leah made a steady recovery and remarkably earlier this month her family were told that the remaining tumour had reduced in size.

After ringing the bell last Friday, Leah, seven, and her dad also appeared on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning.

Stephen said: "We want to give credit to these guys. Without them coming into our lives Leah probably wouldn't be sat here now. And we want to give to other people who maybe find themselves in a similar situation now or in the future.

"Miracles can happen and never give up on that."