MOTHER’S Day is set to be very special for one plucky youngster and her mother.

Mum of two, Jackie Jeffery, will be celebrating the special day with daughters Sophie, ten, and five-year-old Emily who is winning her fight against a rare childhood cancer.

Emily’s illness has prompted 42-year-old Jackie to sign up for her first Race for Life raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Five-year-old Emily Cowan of Hogarth Way, Bournemouth, was diagnosed with Wilms Tumour – a cancer of the kidney – in May last year.

Tests showed a large tumour that was taking up three quarters of her stomach and had spread to her lungs.

Emily underwent chemotherapy to shrink the tumour before undergoing a seven-hour operation to remove the cancerous kidney in July last year.

She has on-going chemotherapy and radiotherapy with occasional overnight stays in hospital.

The youngster is fed by a tube and has a tube in her side which administers drugs, but remains bubbly and happy said Jackie.

The mum will also be joined at Poole Race for Life on Sunday June 26, by daughter Sophie, neighbour Sally Fry, 39, who lost her sister to breast cancer two years ago, and Sally’s 13-year-old step-daughter Zephyr.

The group aim to raise more than £250 for Cancer Research UK between them.

Jackie said: “She has had it for ten months. It’s still hard thinking that your child has got cancer.

“They sent us to Poole Hospital on the Friday and on the Saturday they did x-rays and found it was all of her kidney.

“She was taken in to Southampton at the end of April last year. She has had chemotherapy and an operation to take the kidney away and radiotherapy.”

Apart from the tube in her nose and no hair it is hard to believe that the happy giggling youngster has anything wrong with her.

Jackie said: “She’s a happy little girl. This is what she’s normally like.

“Some days she has lots of energy and some days she hasn’t. She has an ng (nasogastric) tube. That’s used to feed her every night. She just picks at her food.”

She attends school as much as possible and is “intelligent” and loves to read added Jackie.

“At home she likes playing puzzles and likes monopoly. She likes reading her book and going out playing.

“Her favourite TV show is Peppa Pig. She loves animals and wants to be an artist.”

Classmates at St Clement’s School in Boscombe are “protective” of the little girl says Jackie.

Emily’s illness has meant that the family finds it difficult to go on holiday or even day trips to the beach.

“She can’t go to the park because of all her tubes. It’s just a day to day thing. We just take each day as it comes.”

Despite Emily’s positive prognosis, Jackie refuses to celebrate too soon.

“It’s a day to day thing. It could come back somewhere else. She is not in remission and is still having chemotherapy.

“The last bit of chemotherapy will be in May then visits to hospital. We have still got that for a number of years,” she said.

Jemma Molloy, event manager for Race for Life Poole said she hoped Emily’s story would inspire other mums to take part in the event.

“I hope as many mums as possible will get behind Cancer Research UK and enter Race for Life and raise money for research which gives these children a better chance of survival.”

Visit raceforlife.org or call 0871 641 1111 for more information.