The mother of seven-year-old Melksham girl Tamara Drewett, who has been battling against leukaemia for two years, has spoken of her family’s relief when she was told her little girl was in remission earlier this week.

Ollie Gerrish, of Marti Close, Melksham, received the doctor’s phone call confirming that Tamara was clear of the most common form of the childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, just days after giving birth to her son Jack Kallum Gerrish last week.

She said: “It was just like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders when they gave me the results. It was quite emotional.

“I thought it might be in remission but I didn’t want to get my hopes up just in case the results weren’t good.”

Tamara was diagnosed with the bone marrow cancer in March 2007 at the age of five after numerous visits to the doctors with infections and colds. After getting a blood test on March 7 that year she was taken into the Royal United Hospital, Bath, hours later for her first blood transfusion.

Her mum said: “It was devastating to get that news but the hospital acted really quickly and for the following six months she was transferred between the RUH, Bristol Children’s Hospital and home.

“She has had countless blood transfusions and chemotherapy but has improved over the past 18 months, making her able to go to school on a regular basis ,but to get the official all-clear is brilliant. We can start being a family again.”

The 33-year-old said that she had only met her husband Karl Gerrish and his daughter Lauren, 11, a year before her daughter was diagnosed, but she thinks the whole ordeal has brought them closer together and they are now looking forward to the summer together as a family.

She said: “There were several things that Tamara couldn’t do when she was ill in case she contracted any infections, as she had no immune system.

“She loves swimming and her bubble baths and wasn’t able to have them or play in adventure playgrounds with crowds of people.”

Tamara has been enjoying playing on her dad Graham Drewett’s water slide at his home in Steeple Ashton, after having a line taken out of her chest which put medicine into her body.

She said: “I can’t wait to go swimming again and I have caught up with all of my school work (at The Grove Primary School, Trowbridge). I have also had a nice bubble bath.”

Her mum said that if it wasn’t for her daughter’s strength and constant smile they wouldn’t have been able to get through the hard times.