A BRAVE girl has just rejoined her classmates after a gap year with a difference.

But instead of travelling the world, Ivy Hurle, just three-years-old, spent her year going through gruelling life-saving cancer treatment.

Ivy had to leave Whitchurch Montessori Nursery soon after joining when she was diagnosed with cancer — and she has only recently returned as her life starts to get back to normal. 

Ivy’s parents, Bex and Jake, both 32, are extremely proud of the way their little girl has coped with the exhausting treatment.

Bex said: ‘When we were told Ivy had cancer, my first thought was “is she going to make it? Is she is going to die?”

‘People don’t realise how much children with cancer go through and the potential side effects of the drugs they must take to save their lives.’

But now Ivy is on the road to recovery and her family is urging everyone to clear out their wardrobes and raise money to help fund research into children’s cancers.

They are supporting TK Maxx’s ‘Give Up Clothes for Good’ campaign in support of Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens by rallying people to donate good quality clothing, accessories and homeware they no longer need to their nearest TK Maxx store.

Ivy was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumour, a form of kidney cancer, in January 2017.

Her only symptom at the time was a succession of high temperatures which prompted her parents to take her to their GP.

A virus or a childhood ailment which often caused high temperatures was blamed.

But Ivy then went off her food and Bex found she was more clingy than normal. They thought she could be reacting to the arrival of baby brother, Sunny, who was then only four-months-old.

But Ivy then became lethargic and her high temperatures had returned and when Bex noticed the right side of her tummy felt hard she called 111.

By then Bex knew something was very wrong and Ivy was taken by ambulance to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

A consultant in the child assessment unit suspected Ivy had a tumour and arranged further tests, which confirmed the youngster had five tumours on her right kidney which had merged into one.

Doctors were still not exactly sure which type of cancer Ivy had and she was sent to a specialist hospital in Bristol where, after a biopsy, it was confirmed she was suffering from Wilms’ tumour.

By the time Ivy was diagnosed, the cancer had spread to her lungs.

Bex, a dental nurse in Tavistock, said: ‘Up until then we had been oblivious to what was wrong. It is silly when I look back.

‘I thought she must have swallowed something or was suffering from some sort of infection.

‘We never suspected cancer and when we were told what was wrong it was a massive shock.

‘The not knowing and waiting for the results of the biopsy were almost worst. We were Googling her symptoms and that was a big mistake!

‘Once she was diagnosed and doctors told us the plan to treat her we started to feel a bit better.’

Ivy, who will be four in April, immediately faced six weeks of chemotherapy to reduce the tumours before having surgery to remove them and her right kidney.

She has also had countless blood transfusions.

Because her lungs were not completely clear of cancer she also had radiotherapy before embarking on a course of very intensive chemotherapy treat-ment for 34 weeks, which has now finished.

Ivy has now started five months of maintenance therapy to ensure her lungs and remaining kidney stay clear of cancer.

Bex and Jake, a gardener in Tavistock, are very proud of the way both children coped with spending so much time in hospital.

‘We just had to get on with it and stay positive’, said Bex. ‘We spent a lot of time in hospital and she took it all so well. Ivy loves the hospital and the doctors.

‘She has shown an amazing amount of bravery and positivity. Sunny, who is now 18 months, also got used to it. He didn’t know anything else.’

Ivy still suffers short-term side effects, getting very tired and dealing with tummy pains and sickness.

The youngster, who had just started attending pre-school three mornings a week before she was diagnosed, was unable to return to her class until recently because of the risk of picking up infections due to her low immunity.

‘Staff there have been so lovely and they kept in touch. But Ivy has had a year of not being able to mix with children her own age. She really wanted to go back to pre-school and she is now able to go one day a week,’ added Bex.

Ivy is one of around 120 children in the South West who are diagnosed with cancer every year. The TK Maxx campaign encourages people to donate good quality clothing, accessories and homeware they no longer need and take them to their nearest TK Maxx store.

Each bag donated could raise up to £30 when sold in Cancer Research UK shops.

The money raised will help fund research to find new, better and kinder treatments for children and young people with cancer.

Bex added: ‘Ivy and I will be having a good clear out at home and finding clothes and items to donate to our local TK Maxx store.

‘I hope everyone in Devon gets behind the campaign by raiding their wardrobes to help raise funds for such a fantastic cause.’

Alison Birkett, Cancer Research UK Kids and Teens spokesperson for Devon, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see Ivy as the face of Give up Clothes for Good — she has been through so much at such a young age.

‘Thanks to research, more children and young people are surviving cancer than ever before.

‘But there’s still so much more to do.

‘Our mission is to bring forward the day when no youngster dies of cancer.

‘And that those who survive do so with a good quality of life.

‘We’re able to carry out research to help find new, better and kinder treatments for children and young people with cancer thanks to donations raised through campaigns like Give Up Clothes for Good.

‘So we hope everyone across Devon will support the campaign and donate any pre-loved clothes or goods to their local TK Maxx store.

‘Every item donated will help bring us one step closer to beating the disease.’