A mum has spoken of the devastating moment she discovered her 10-year-old daughter was suffering from an aggressive childhood cancer.

Samantha Gregory said Shannon was an outgoing child with a love of dancing and the pop group Little Mix.

But then things came to an abrupt halt when the youngster fell ill last month.

Mum-of-three Sam quickly realised there was a problem when she spotted a ‘prickly’ rash and bruising on her daughter’s leg.

But later that evening the 33-year-old’s world came crashing down around her as doctors revealed her youngest faced a battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia – a cancer that attacks the bone marrow.

“Shannon knows that this will save her life and without the treatment she’ll die and that’s the scariest thing about it but she remains strong”

“She had to be transferred to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London to start chemotherapy straight away because she was that ill,” she said.

“I was basically told that it wouldn’t have been long had we not caught it when we did.”

But the self-employed hairdresser, of Yeates Drive, Kemsley, remains optimistic about her daughter’s recovery, and said Shannon’s strength had brought the family closer.

“It’s heartbreaking when I think of everything she is going through and what’s yet to come.

“But Shannon’s positive attitude and loving ways makes it actually easier for us to cope with what she’s dealing with.”

She has another daughter, Shannon’s twin Isobel and a son, Justin, 14.

Shannon is in hospital almost every second day for chemotherapy shots into her spinal column, lumbar punctures for bone marrow collection, various tests and scans.

“Adults would wince at what shes going through but she’s just putting on a brave face,” said Ms Gregory.

“Shannon knows that this will save her life and without the treatment she’ll die and that’s the scariest thing about it but she remains strong.”

Family friend Jo Murphy put an appeal on Facebook and started a crowd-funding campaign with other mums to help cover Sam’s expenses.

The Kemsley resident, of Celts Close, vowed to help the youngster beat the disease and realise her dream of becoming a scientist.

More than £600 has already been raised and will go towards Sam’s travel expenses with Shannon facing two years of treatment.

“I’ve had to be honest with the kids about Christmas - I’m self employed and not working so we can’t get certain things until the new year when doctors’ reports are in and written up and we know what we’re faced with,” she said.