But the five-year-old, of Honeywell Place, Honeywell is now unable to receive proton therapy in America and her family are pinning their hopes on six weeks of daily radiotherapy sessions which she starts on September 13.

 

Mum Leanne said: "She's doing really well, she's amazing. But doctors have told me I will lose her if she doesn't have this radiotherapy, so she's got to have it. There is no choice. There is a chance it could work, but the doctors are not confident."

 

Ebonie was diagnosed with the tumour when she was six months old and has been having treatment ever since.

Parents Leanne and Michael were raising money to send her to America for proton therapy, but Leanne, 31, said it is now too late for that kind of treatment as the tumour has spread to Ebonie's spine.

 

Leanne said about £90,000 had been raised so far and she and Michael were looking at other options in America, where trials are being conducted in Boston on brain tumours like Ebonie's.

 

She is hoping the radiotherapy will stop the tumour growing long enough to allow them to explore any possibilities.

"Two years ago Ebonie had a similar operation (as the one she had last month), and only 20 per cent of the tumour could be removed. This time, 80 per cent has been removed. I don't know what's going to happen, I'm in a situation that I didn't want to be in. I'm just trying my best to keep my child on this planet."

 

Despite her illness, Ebonie is a happy little girl who enjoys singing at Joseph Locke primary school, where she is a pupil, and also loves reading, learning and playing on her iPad computer.

 

Leanne added: "After she came round, she was asking the neurosurgeon if she could go to the park. But then she started to go backwards. She had to have another operation because a shunt was blocked."

 

She is currently on steroids which Michael, 33, said was making her emotional and increasing her appetite.

He added: "We can't allow it to grow, we have to do something now. Ebonie has had this operation three times now. It's a way of life for her but we can't put her through that surgery again."