A COURAGEOUS little girl who fought cancer while raising tens of thousands for charity is being recognised for her bravery.

Anya Ottley was just six-years-old when she was diagnosed with a very rare form of kidney cancer.

In the months after her diagnosis in November of 2017, the Little Lever youngster faced 28 rounds of chemotherapy and a major operation to remove her left kidney.

Instead of letting the daunting diagnosis frighten her, the Mytham Primary pupil set her mind on helping others.

While undergoing rounds of treatment, Anya touched the lives of millions when her performance at a family wedding went viral on YouTube.

Anya was singing the poignant lyrics, "this is my fight song, take back my life song, prove I’m alright song" and the clip was uploaded to the internet. The video became a hit, amassing more than one million views.

Anya finished her treatment in July of 2018 after a successful operation.

Since then, Anya and her family have also raised almost £20,000 for the Little Princess Trust and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

The Little Princess Trust provided Anya with a wig to wear during her treatment. In thanks, both Anya and mum, Kathryn, decided to donate their hair to the charity, in order to help create more wigs for young cancer sufferers.

The pair also ran a fundraiser ahead of the big chop, raising an incredible £12,000 in just three weeks.

Mrs Ottley said: “We were overwhelmed by what they had done and both myself and Anya had our hair cut into a short bob and put it on Facebook and a Just Giving Page.

“I don’t even know them, I don’t recognise the names. People have donated in Euros and dollars, it’s just amazing.”

Anya will be awarded tonight at the first ever Pride of Manchester Awards, held at The Principal Hotel.

The awards will honour the city’s unsung heroes and celebrate the ordinary people doing extraordinary things.