LOVEABLE Lily Beswick is battling back against cancer at the age of 18 months.

The brave youngster was diagnosed with the condition earlier this year — just two weeks after her first birthday on February 10.

Her ordeal started when parents, Clair and Kevin Beswick, spotted an egg-sized lump on her leg, which after tests, turned out to be a malignant soft tissue tumour.

Since the diagnosis, Lily has undergone a gruelling 13 rounds of chemotherapy at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and surgery to remove the tumour in June.

But mum Clair, of Capitol Close, Bolton, says Lily has coped brilliantly.

Clair is now planning a “Pyjama Day” at the nursery in Bolton she runs, as a thank-you to the children’s hospital.

The 37-year-old mum said: “Her treatment has finished now and she’s had surgery which went really well. She’s just been brilliant throughout it all and always had a smile on her face. But it did really take it out of her. She would be very tired and lose her appetite afterwards.”

During the chemotherapy, Lily was in hospital for three days every three weeks and finished her last round of treatment last week. The hospital will have to run regular MRI scans and tests on Lily for the next six weeks before she will get the all-clear.

Lily has two older brothers, Oliver, aged six, and Rowan, aged three.

Clair added: “We’re really relieved it’s done because it was such a long, hard process. It was really difficult but we’re at the end of it now. I can’t help but feel a bit apprehensive because we don’t have that regular contact with the ward.

“But the family have been brilliant, and my mum and sisters have been amazing. Her brothers have also coped really well, even though they missed her when she was in hospital. They love her to bits.”

The Pyjama Day will take place at the Shining Stars Nursery in Farnworth, owned by Mr and Mrs Beswick, on October 17.

Money raised from the event will go towards the “giggle doctors” at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The giggle doctors help to distract patients and their parents by bringing laughter at the most stressful of times.

“Lily loves the giggle doctors. In fact, we all love them. They were brilliant for 10 minutes of the day when she was having treatment. They really break up the monotony of the long days in hospital so we’re really pleased to support them and what they do for the hospital.”

To find out more about Pyjama Day and to register a nursery to take part: visit www.rmchcharity.org.uk or call 0161 901 2217.