A BRAVE youngster will learn in the next month if she is winning her fight against cancer.

Charlotte Watson, five, of Stanley, County Durham, has undergone pioneering proton beam therapy in the US and gruelling chemotherapy sessions at the RVI in Newcastle.

She was diagnosed with a malignant tumour behind her right eye in June of last year

Her family are hoping that the tumour has stopped growing and that for now at least she is keeping the disease at bay.

“She is looking fantastic now. She has a little head of hair because her treatment has finished," said Charlotte’s uncle, Jonathan McKenzie.

“She went to Florida for proton beam therapy and her chemo finished in December and basically we are now in this waiting period.

“Charlotte has regular scans and once all the swelling has gone from the proton therapy and the chemo she will have another scan, probably next month.

“That will tell us whether the cancer is still growing or whether there is no sign of it growing. That is what we are hanging on for at the moment.

“I don’t think they are ever going to say to us, 'that’s it'. It’s a case of if there is no growth, they will say come back in another three months for another scan, and then another three months.

“They will watch her like a hawk, certainly for a good proportion of her childhood.”

“When she was having her treatment she was as low as you could imagine, it was heartbreaking.

“But, if it was an adult we would come out and be miserable and depressed. Charlotte came home, got her coat on and went out to play with the kids down the street. Northing fazed her.”

Her bravery has inspired six family members to walk 134 miles from Whitehaven to Sunderland for Charlotte’s Challenge, which was started by the family to raise money for the charity Clic Sergeant, which has given them valuable help.

So far £7,000 has been raised and they hope to make it £10,000.

They set off on Wednesday (April 1) and aim to do it in five days.

“It is quite a challenge, quite a thing for a bunch of amateurs who have never done anything like this before,” said Mr McKenzie.

To support the walk visit justgiving.com/Jonny-McKenzie2