Party time for little fighter Ysabella, 5

Ysabella Strudwick with parents Kelvin and Sarah.

AS Ysabella Strudwick’s smile lights up the camera it is a day that her parents feared they would never see.

At just five months old she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia and rushed to Pendlebury Children’s Hospital.

Mum Sarah spent the next six months at her side as she underwent five gruelling courses of chemotherapy. After the first one, doctors warned Ysabella was so ill that she may not make it through the night.

But the Mather Street Primary School pupil has now been in remission for five years. And her grateful family are throwing a party on November 19 to celebrate — and thank everyone who supported them.

“There were five children with the same cancer in the hospital at the same time. She was the only one that survived. We are really lucky,” explained Sarah (35), of Greaves Avenue, Failsworth.

“When she came out of hospital I just thought ‘when we get to five years, we will have a party.’ I just focused on that.

“It is just really to put and end to everything, a new start. It has been really hard for all of us.

“Although she will never have the all-clear with the leukaemia she had got, five years is good. It is less likely that it will come back again.

Sarah and husband Kelvin, also 35, already had children Ethan (15), Zackery (14) and Adrienna (13) when Ysabella was born in May, 2005.

Months later she fell ill and Sarah recalled: “She just wasn’t very well for a couple of days, nothing really major. I went to see a few different GPs and they said she was teething.”

However, Sarah was still concerned and was eventually sent to hospital.

“Within a couple of hours they told us she had leukaemia. when she finished her first lot of chemotherapy they did not expect her to last the night, she was so poorly.

“She went into remission after that but they had to give her more chemotherapy to make sure.”

Ysabella was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia which affects fewer than 100 children each year in the UK.

During her time in Pendlebury, Sarah did not return home and said: “It was so hard on the other children. They did not get to see me for nearly six months. My mum was brilliant. She looked after them a lot while Kelvin was coming down to hospital. I do not think I can thank her enough.”

Ysabella’s determination proved inspirational and she was crowned a Cancer Research UK Little Star. She then went on to win the hearts of Oldhamers and a Pride in Oldham award.

Her battle also inspired Kelvin to undertake a 445km bike ride in Peru to raise more than £6,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. He is now planning a 612km fund-raising ride in Mexico next year.

Ysabella is now big sister to Ezekiel (20 months) and six-month-old Mathilda. Outgoing and popular, she likes reading, writing and crafts.

Doctors have discovered a hole in her heart, which she is believed to have had since birth, but Sarah added: “It is not causing problems, although it might explain why she gets tired easily. It is something we will just have to live with.

“You wouldn’t think she had ever had anything wrong with her. With her personality, there is no way you would know she is any different to anyone else.”

To sponsor Kevin visit www.justgiving.co.uk/kelvin-strudwick