A BRAVE teenager who lost her leg to cancer is celebrating after having a false limb fitted.

Amanda Gifford, of Barnwood Close, Halliwell, Bolton, is over-the-moon with her new leg and cannot wait until she can wear it permanently.

The plucky 15-year-old will spend the next few weeks getting used to the prosthetic and, at the moment, practices walking on it for two hours-a-day.

Amanda touched the hearts of BEN readers who read of her fight against cancer earlier this year.

She spent almost eight months in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, after being diagnosed with the illness in January.

The Woodside Senior School pupil had returned home complaining of a sore leg and within five hours her family had taken her to the Royal Bolton Hospital and were told she had cancer.

Chemotherapy failed to shrink the tumour and Amanda underwent an operation in April to amputate her leg.

Her parents, Bernadette and Michael, who also have four other children, are thrilled Amanda is full of life once more, but have been hurt by the attitude of some people in the town.

The couple have faced a tough year as Bernadette lost her mum in Ireland and a fire at their home left the family with few possessions.

She said: "We are grateful to all the readers who offered us support, but I have been very upset by some people's attitudes.

"Some people think we have made money out of speaking to the BEN and that we gained a lot of stuff from Amanda being ill.

"Although we got lots of soft toys and £350 from a fund-raising evening by comedian Ricky Wayne, we never accepted anyone's charity and, even after the fire, we didn't like to take anything from anyone."

Amanda, who was only given a 20 per cent chance of survival when she became ill, returned to school in September and cannot wait to attend classes on her new leg.

She said: "I'm still going to school in my wheelchair, but I'll be able to go on my leg soon.

"I'm delighted to be back at school even though I've had to drop back a year and am over-the-moon with my leg.

"I feel really well, but I've just got to be careful and not overdo it until I'm used to wearing the leg."

Amanda, who lost three stone in weight when she was being treated with chemotherapy, will have to attend monthly hospital check-ups for the next seven years until she is given the all-clear.