FAMILY and friends of a 12-year-old girl still battling the affects of a brain tumour which was removed two years ago are raising funds for a wheelchair to give her greater independence.

Amy Stockill from Sedgefield, County Durham, was diagnosed with a Medulloblistoma brain tumour in June 2013 after suffering dizzy spells and mobility problems for more than a year.

The tennis ball-sized tumour was removed in a lifesaving 12-hour operation at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary and months of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed.

When this came to an end 14 months ago, her parents, Frank and Lisa Stockill, believed their daughter’s health would improve but sadly this has not been the case.

Amy continues to suffer from mobility problems and relies on a manual wheelchair which she struggles to operate.

In March, she had a further operation to remove a build up of fluid in the third and fourth ventricles of her brain.

She also suffers from severe anxiety which doctors initially believed to be post traumatic stress disorder but now fear could be caused by cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome, a rare and incurable condition which impairs the way the brain functions.

Mr Stockill said: “We thought when the chemotherapy was over things would be on the up but she has gone downhill.

“We’ve been through three years of hell and it is still going on. Amy was dancer and a gymnast. She was so full of life. It is heartbreaking to see her now.”

Amy’s inability to get out of the house independently is adding to her mental anguish and her family are trying to raise funds for an electronic wheelchair to give her greater freedom.

Mrs Stockill said: “The wheelchair has a seat which goes up and down which would allow her to reach things in the fridge or take clothes off the rail when shopping with friends for example. It is allowing her to do small simple things we all take for granted."

Family friend Ceri Craig has launched an online fundraising page to secure the funds needed for the wheelchair.

She said: “Sadly it looks as though a wheelchair is something that Amy will need for a very long time potentially the rest of her life if her mobility is indeed impaired irrevocably by the damage done by the tumour. We want to give her the safest and easiest to use wheelchair we can afford.”

To make a donation, visit gofundme.com/AmysWheelchair