Six year old Thornton Cleveleys girl initially suspected of having chest infection now needs life-saving operation following cancer diagnosis

While most six-year-olds play with their new Christmas toys, Isabelle Grundy has been in Manchester Intensive Care Unit since Boxing Day after suffering a collapsed lung.

Since then, she has had 3,777mls of fluid drained from her right lung and is now breathing on her own with minimal assistance from a ventilator.

This is one of the many side effects she is left to endure as she bravely battles a rare and aggressive form of cancer, all the while reserving a quiet strength and smile on her face.

Her mother Louisa Moss, 33, needs to raise £200,000 to gain access to treatment in the USA that is not readily available in the UK.

Isabelle, a pupil of Anchorsholme Primary, who has just turned six was diagnosed in July as a High Risk Stage Four Neuroblastoma - a rare type of cancer that affects mostly babies and young children. This means she has a 50 percent survival rate and of the 50 percent that survive 60 percent relapse and of them only five percent survive it.

Louisa said: "She's improving but still needing to stay on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for the time being."

Since diagnosis Isabelle has undergone a lot of intensive treatment, ranging from high dose chemotherapy, numerous cannulas, MIBG scans, CT scans, ultrasound scans, several blood and platelet transfusions, high risk surgery - of which only a small section of Isabelle’s tumour was safely removed, stem cell harvest and transplant.

In the New Year once Isabelle has recovered from her stem cell transplant, she will move on to her next stage of treatment which will be radiotherapy at The Christie.

Explaining when she first noticed something was wrong with her little girl, Louisa added: "She was a fit and healthy little girl from a baby growing up - all the normal milestones.

"In June she started feeling poorly but around that time there were a lot of bugs going round.

"We took her to Blackpool Victoria Hospital after I found a lump in her tummy. We went to her GP who managed to get us a fast track, same day appointment."

Initially suspected of having a chest infection, a concerned doctor then sent Isabelle to Manchester Hospital the following morning by ambulance and within a couple of days she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer.

"She went through a strong case of chemotherapy which she is just over halfway through.

"She also had her high risk surgery to which we were told they (doctors) can't guarantee she will make it."

Louisa and her partner, Isabelle's father Blaine Grundy, 35, then endured an agonising six and a half hour wait which she describes as "horrendous."

"She has done absolutely amazing so far. Now she's got as far as she has we are looking a the vaccines which are not approved in this country."

To brighten Isabelle's stay in hospital and not wanting his friend to be left out at Christmas, kindhearted Theo Robinson, who is in the same class as Isabelle, came up with the idea to put on his list to Santa that she was in hospital in case he was not aware.

He then went to the toy shop with his mother Emma Robinson and that night they compiled a video asking if friends and family would like to help.

In just one week they received over 100 presents for the family of four, with local businesses also donating.

Emma said: "I'm so proud of Theo for what he has wanted to do for his friend.

"I went to Anchorsholme School myself with Isabelle's mum and we too were in the same class.

"This could have been any one of our children and came so unexpectedly for their family so doing this has been an honour to have been able to help.

"The next mission now for me and Theo is to do what we can to help raise the £200,000 needed to look into treatment in the USA for Isabelle in the future to stop any relapse.

"She certainly is a fighter and her mummy, daddy and brother are so brave too."

Although Isabelle’s treatment is going to plan at the moment, things can change unexpectedly change, evident in the fact that she now has a condition known as VOD which is an inflammation of the liver - a side effect from her high dose chemotherapy.

For this reason Emma Robinson has also set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of reaching a target of £200,000 to help raise funds in order for the family to travel to America for Isabelle to receive possible life saving treatment.

Louisa added: "Never in a million years did we ever think our family would be in this situation, our world has been completely turned upside down.

"Thank you to everyone who has shown support, love and kindness towards Isabelle and our family, we are eternally grateful for each and every one of you.

"All donations great or small mean the world to us."

If you would like to help Isabelle CLICK HERE.