The family of a five-year-old girl suffering from a life-threatening tumour have an anxious wait to see if she is responding to treatment.

Bethany Heron, from Butter-shaw, Bradford, has a growth on her optic nerve which has left her blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other.

She has had half the tumour removed - which was also attached to the brain stem - and has undergone chemotherapy.

Now her family are waiting for the results of a scan. Mother Christina, 29, said: "We face an uncertain future and in May she'll have another scan to see if it's grown any more," she said.

"They can't tell us how long she'll live and we can't afford to think like that. Because it's in the brain it's life-threatening as there just isn't the room for it.

"It's very difficult but Bethany is amazing and keeps her spirits up - she's the strongest one of the lot of us."

Dad Brian, 34, said he cannot go out to work because if Bethany is ill she has to go into hospital for a week's course of antibiotics.

"One of us has to be at home to look after the other children," he said. They have two other children Liam, six, and two-year-old Caitlin.

When Bethany was born Christina noticed she had wobbly eyes. But it was only after an optician became concerned that she had a scan which revealed the tumour.

The youngster goes to St James's Hospital in Leeds every three weeks for chemotherapy. She has also lost her blonde, curly hair and has to take steroids.

Bethany attends Cooper Lane School and is awaiting results of reports to see if she qualifies for one-to-one support.

Christina's twin sister Grace Gardener and husband Steve have arranged a sponsored bike ride to Morecambe on Saturday, April 22 to pay for a special computer and bicycle for Bethany.

The £2,000 computer is activated by speech and the four-wheeled bike costs about £475.

Grace said: "We don't know how long she's got - it may be months or years, they just can't tell us. But she's a really happy little girl."

A group of five adults and four boys will be taking part in the 74-mile bike ride.

e-mail: carolyne.coyle

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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