Battling Summer's brain tumour fight

Summer Wrigley, eight, had her second operation last week to remove 95 per cent of the tumours in her brain, which were discovered after a routine eye exam in January.

Her mum Amie Barnes, 29, said: “She had a test and it showed some swelling in the back of her eye.

“They sent her to Blackpool Vic and had an MRI the next morning they told us.

“It was a massive shock and we were all upset.”

Staining Primary School pupil Summer was taken to Manchester Children’s Hospital one day after the tumours were found, where she had surgery to remove one and half of the other.

Amie, who lives in Staining, said: “It was a grade one tumour which means that it wasn’t cancerous, but she may still need some chemotherapy to get rid of the cells left over.

“Summer has been really brave.

“It has not fazed her at all. She’s just got on with it and she’s really pushing herself to get better.”

A keen dancer, Summer is a member of Langley Dance Centre on Coronation Street, Blackpool.

Mum-of-two Amie, who works as a midwife at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, said: “She goes dancing four or five times a week.

“She does ballet and modern and tap.

“She just wants to get back to dancing!”

She added that Summer’s friends at the dance studio had taken part in a silly hat day on Friday to raise money and awareness for brain tumour research.

She said: “I was overwhelmed because they have been so busy with the dance classes and they’ve taken the time to do this for us.

“We’re really thankful.

“Summer’s been going to dancing for six years so they’re like a second family to her. They’ve grown up together.”

The dance centre raised a total of £219 for Brain Tumour Research UK.

Donna Langley, a teacher at Langley Dance Centre, said: “It was fabulous; the morale was really good and all the kids know it was all for Summer.

“Summer is great and she’s fab little girl. She’s full of energy and she’s always got a smile on her face.

“She’s got a lot of girls here who care about her which I think really reflects in the number of people who got involved on Friday.

“We sent the pictures to her mum and she said they put the biggest smile on her face.”