Desperately-ill Holly Clarke faces her biggest battle yet as she undergoes intensive treatment to tackle an MRSA-related infection that could kill her.

The six-year-old, who is now in the final stage of Batten's disease, was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary yesterday to start a two-week intensive antibiotics course.

Her parents, Darren and Shirelle, have been warned the next month will be critical and if she does not respond within two weeks of the treatment ending, nothing more can be done for their terminally-ill daughter.

Holly has developed Staphylococcus, a strain of MRSA, as well as a severe chest infection which she has been fighting for the past three months.

"The next month is critical it's a matter of life and death," said Shirelle, 35. "If the infection comes back within two weeks after the treatment there is nothing they can do. If the doctors can get rid of it things will carry on as they are. We just have to be positive."

Batten's disease has already robbed Holly of her sight, ability to walk and talk and she has developed dementia.

The youngster has barely been out of the house for the past three months as she has tried to fight off a string of chest infections with antibiotics which need to be fed through a tube into her stomach.

"I look at her and I wonder how much longer she can cope," said Shirelle, of Grove House, Bradford. "How much more can her body take? So much medication must be taking its toll on her."

Holly has developed a pseudomonas infection, which often strikes people suffering from cystic fibrosis, preventing them from coughing up secretions stuck on the lungs.

"Holly seems to be in a bit of pain. She is crying a bit. All I can do is give her pain relief and sedate her. She is asleep all the time. It's awful to see."

Holly had been due to fly to the USA last month to help experts process the findings of pioneering research into the disease.

She had been cleared to trial the potentially life-saving treatment but the disease progressed too quickly for Holly to be able to join the trial in New York.

"She is very weak," said Holly's dad, Darren, 35. "She has to go on a drip for two weeks. After that there is the possibility that if it does not clear up there is nothing else that can be done.

"She is sleeping most of the time and when she does wake up she is very jerky. It's starting to hit us hard now."

e-mail: fiona.evans@bradford.newsquest.co.uk