Parents of a brave two-year-old have told how they took her to hospital with a limp and sore leg only to learn she had leukaemia.
Marley Shaw, of Uttoxeter, is now undergoing treatment for the cancer and parents Callum Shaw and Charley Straughton have revealed how their "little star" is keeping upbeat, reported StokeonTrentLive.
Callum and Charley, both 23, were given the devastating news just before Christmas that Marley had leukaemia and she began treatment on December 23.
Marley was diagnosed at the Royal Derby Hospital before being transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham.
Callum is a salt mine worker while Charley a student at University of Derby has deferred her course to concentrate on looking after Marley.
Callum said: "The only reason we took her to hospital was because she was limping.
"She was complaining about her knee so we thought that she had just damaged her knee in some way, but then from there they took blood tests and it's then that we found out she has leukaemia."
He added: "My partner Charley was with Marley at the Royal Derby Hospital because you're only allowed one person in with her at a time, and I was watching my rugby team play when I got a phone call saying the doctor wanted to see both of us together.
"You hear that and you know straight away that it's not going to be good news. So we just had to prepare ourselves for it and try to think positively.
"But that drive to the hospital felt the longest drive I have ever had to make in my life; it was horrible.
"She started her vincristine chemotherapy on December 23, and she'll need bone-marrow tests and lumbar punctures.
"She's been taking it all in her stride and she's not changed her personality one bit, still bossing everybody around which even the nurses have said.
"She is honestly just a little star."
Because Marley is spending so much time at the Nottingham hospital, family and friends have raised thousands of pounds so her parents can rent an Airbnb property in the city to be with her.
The couple say have been humbled by the fundraising as the original target was to raise £800 and money has been donated by complete strangers as well as friends and family.
People from Uttoxeter Rugby Club were among those who have donated to the cause, which the couple say has seen people go above and beyond for the cause - and some of the extra money is to be used to buy iPads for other sick children on the ward with Marley.
He said: "It's just ridiculous, you want to say thank you but I always say that thank you is never going to be enough.
"I owe everybody a lot of my time now, I'd drop anything I had to help the people that are helping us.
"We've had to rent an Airbnb in Nottingham while Marley is being treated here and that's all we wanted to raise at the beginning was the £800 for the house.
"The ward where we are now want to try and do a fundraiser for themselves so they can buy each bed an iPad for the kids, so we're going to use some of the money raised to buy some for the ward also."
For more information and on the fundraising page, click here.
