'Last Christmas my little girl was not her usual self then we got a heartbreaking diagnosis'

Last Christmas Natalie and Scott Bolton noticed their daughter Ava wasn't 'her usual self'. Then the following month the three-year-old began walking with a limp and became pale and lethargic.

At first the couple thought she had picked up a virus but when bruising started to appear on her eyes they took her to the GP. Ava was referred to the University Hospital Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, Scotland and following tests she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma - an aggressive cancer.

She has now completed chemotherapy, radiotherapy and starts immunotherapy in a week. Her family are hoping to take Ava to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York for treatment that stops the neuroblastoma from returning - and have raised £290k to do so.

Read more: ‘I’m the proud dad of 17 children… 12 of them are dead’

Read more: 'It wasn’t like anything I have ever seen before' - Armed police swarm street to hunt for suspected burglars

Scott, a technician, from Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland, said: "We were in pure shock. You don't ever imagine that you will be told your child has cancer - there is a lot more out there when you think.

"Throughout the year, we have been fundraising to get Ava new vaccination treatment in the US. Neuroblastoma has a high relapse rate of 60 per cent and this treatment will stop it from returning.

"We have raised our total of £250k - but are continuing to fundraise as we don't know what other costs there will be."

Natalie, a nurse, and Scott noticed Ava was not her 'usual self' over Christmas 2022 and she was still unwell in the new year. Scott said Ava was lethargic, pale and would often vomit but the warning signs came when she started to walk with a limp.

Scott said: "She was walking with a limp and she