A BRAVE teenager whose battle with cancer meant she missed a year of school is hoping to pursue a career in nursing after excelling in her GSCEs.

Amid the celebrations at Woodham Academy in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, yesterday (Thursday, August 21), there were tears of joy when Kimberley Hall opened her GCSE results.

Kimberley had achieved a set of grades any pupil would be proud of, including As in English literature, English language and history.

But the achievement was all the greater as the 16-year-old missed the whole of year ten due to cancer treatment.

She said: “I was so happy when I opened the envelope and saw my results.

“I had hoped just to pass and – when I saw the As and Bs – I just couldn’t believe it.”

Two years ago Kimberley was diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma, an aggressive cancer originating in the adrenal gland.

It is very rare in teenagers and required her to undergo an intense course of chemotherapy.

Kimberley was gravely ill but she battled through it and last September the brave teen returned to Woodham Academy part time.

Kimberley, who was also awarded Bs in biology and RE and a C in maths, spent most of her time in the school’s Learning Centre, where supportive staff helped her catch up on her studies.

She has now received the all-clear from doctors and plans to study biology, history, English language and psychology at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington.

“My dream is to become a nurse,” she said. “I think it will be very rewarding to care for people.”

Kimberley’s mother, Chris Hall, added: “We are so proud of Kimberley. I was in floods of tears when she opened her results.”

A pupil who faced a cancer battle of a different kind was Kaidyn Wilkinson, of Bishop Auckland.

Sadly her mother, Dr Jules Alletson, an A&E doctor at Darlington Memorial Hospital, died in March (2014) as Kaidyn prepared to sit her GCSE exams.

Yet with hard work, and support from Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland- which she joined at the start of year ten after a period of home schooling- she went on to do well in her exams.

She said: "I think she would be proud of me.

“She always said I would pass.”