A girl who had to be resuscitated when she was just six-weeks-old is now approaching the final 12 months of her chemotherapy treatment.
Faye Jennings was first diagnosed with a rare lung condition when she was just a baby - but just as she started primary school her family were dealt another blow when strange veins appeared on her chest.
Faye was later diagnosed with an aggressive blood cancer - T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - which required the six-year-old to enter into a two-and-a-half year treatment plan.
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Faye still has another year of treatment to undertake after already having 500 doses of different kinds of chemotherapy - and has to regularly make trips to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
But dad Michael told the ECHO Faye is "amazing" and "smiles away as she cracks on with it all."
The 42-year-old from Crewe said Faye's problems began soon after she and her twin sister Lucy were born on Boxing Day in 2015.
He said: "They were born prematurely at 35 weeks after my wife Louise felt really ill.
"Lucy spent a couple of weeks in the neonatal unit and Faye spent a couple of nights.
"But at six weeks Faye stopped breathing and luckily Louise was holding her and managed to resuscitate her by CPR with rescue breaths.
"I'm so thankful for how vigilant she was by being there for the girls at every moment."
Faye was later taken to hospital where she spent almost three months in high dependency before being diagnosed by Alder Hey with whooping cough and then bronchiolitis obliterans.
Faye still has to have daily medication and physiotherapy for the rare condition.
But Michael and Louise were dealt a further blow around four years later when they were preparing for Faye and Lucy to go to school.
Faye was leading a normal life and had just started primary school in September 2020 when the family noticed strange veins on her chest.
Michael said: "There was a lot of discussion about if she could go to school or not because covid was still a worry at the time.
"I'm a police officer and had to move out of the house for a while because of the threat of bringing covid home.
"They decided she could go to school but two weeks later we found these odd looking veins on her chest.
"She was then diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
"It was just so unfair - she just couldn't catch a break."
Faye has been undergoing a treatment plan that has involved over 500 doses of different kinds of chemotherapy, lumbar punctures and biopsies.
She also lost her hair when she was undergoing the chemotherapy treatments.
Michael said "no little girl should have to go through it all."
He added: "It was just the worst news you could ever imagine when we were told.
"We went through something traumatic when she was born and we were just trying to move on with it.
"It's just been a really difficult time.
"The twins are just the happiest little girls you can ever imagine - they're constantly smiling and giggling with each other.
"They're thick as thieves - they're always doing everything together.
"Her older brother Kaiden who's eight has also supported the twins through everything."
Michael said its been a journey for the family - particularly Lucy who often has to go to school without her twin sister.
But he adds it's all been made easier by Faye's attitude that's never once faltered.
He said: "She just gets on with it.
"She has to have certain things that are different - she has a line in her chest.
"She's missed out on so much and her life has stalled.
"I just think it's not fair on her so I hope one day she gets to enjoy all these things she can't do at the moment.
"She just does everything in life with a smile on her face."
The Jennings family added they are indebted to Alder Hey for all the help and support they have given.
Michael and his colleagues will be attempting to complete the Manchester Born Survivor event to raise money for the hospital later this year.
He said: "The place is absolutely fantastic and from the moment we were rushed in they've done so much for us.
"They're so specialist in everything they've done so I can't thank them enough.
"Without them we might not have been able to have Faye here today.
"It's because of Alder Hey we're on this journey and I hope we can see an end to it."
You can donate to the Jennings family's fundraiser here.
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