THE family of an eight-year-old girl who was diagnosed with an "impossible" tumour are sharing the news that it has returned – but they have hope that a special treatment may make the difference.

Leah Bennett, from Bold, was just six years old in November 2018 when she started intermittently complaining of a sore back. A few days later she couldn’t sit straight in her car seat.

Leah's pain continued throughout December 2018 and into January 2019 with her appetite and energy levels also affected.

Leah

Leah

Leah

After coming across an article about BBC presenter Dianne Oxberry, who died from ovarian cancer in 2018, Leah's dad Stephen Bennett read a footnote of symptoms for cancer – and saw that tiny Leah had some of those symptoms.

Leah's mum Claire, booked to see a GP who immediately referred Leah to Whiston Hospital where it was discovered that she had a large lump on the bottom of her spine.

She was then taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital where she underwent numerous scans and tests.

Doctors diagnosed her with an unknown tumour, which runs from her spine into her abdomen and around her arteries in her legs as well as the bottom of her aorta.

Leah with her dad

Leah with her dad

Leah with her dad

With the tumour not having an official name, none of the medical staff knew 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 and took the risk to operate to remove the tumour and she was able to ring the end of treatment bell in January 2020.

Leah when she was in the middle of her radiotherapy in 2019

Leah when she was in the middle of her radiotherapy in 2019

Leah during the hardest part of her treatment in 2019

Since then she's been having regular routine checks, with all of them clear, until December 2020 when a scan concerned doctors.

Leah's dad Stephen, said: "The results of the December scan weighed over us at Christmas as we didn't know what the results were going to say but when we went for the results in January and found another tumour in a different area of her spine.

"They still don't know what she's got so it's classed as a undifferentiated tumour and because of that there is no set treatment.

Leah with her sister

Leah with her sister

Leah with her sister

"Last time, chemotherapy didn't work for Leah but the one positive from all of this is that when they removed the tumour last time we agreed to let them test it and they found that it was caused by a gene mutation which they wouldn't have been able to find from just a biopsy.

"This mutation exists in one or two per cent of all tumours and because we know it was caused by that they can recommended two treatment options.

"One that is on a trial and the other that is licensed, so now she is currently having the licensed treatment, which she is having from home and she's managing OK on.

Leah with her doctor

Leah with Dr Xand from Dr Ouch, a CBBC show she appeared on

"She's still in school and has her hair and feels OK, just a bit dizzy sometimes, so we are just hoping that when we go for the check up in the next two weeks they say it is doing something, otherwise we may need to look into alternative treatments abroad.

"We are grateful that we said the tumour could be tested on last time because at least now we have a potential treatment on the back of that.

"Last time when we got the all clear, the money raised for us was all donated to the 19 charities who supported us throughout that year.

"We don't know if we need to raise funds again, but if it comes to it then we will and we've already had people do events to help us which is just amazing.

"You really learn how kind people are at times like this.

"We just hope this treatment works for Leah."