The end of treatment bell was ringing in one Norfolk hospital as a four-year-old girl celebrates her all-clear.

Daisy Byles, from Lowestoft, has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since June 2019, and her two years of torrid treatment included countless hospital visits and devastating infections.

But in September, the youngster beat the rare cancer, and her mother Shari has now praised the "little family" her daughter had developed while being treated at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Eastern Daily Press: Daisy Byles spent much of her treatment at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, as well as at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.Daisy Byles spent much of her treatment at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, as well as at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. (Image: Shari McKay)

She said: "Ringing that bell was an incredible moment saying goodbye to everything. We were free.

"There was a lot of emotions. It wasn't just for her to be able to be a lovely, little child again, it was saying goodbye to the hospital.

"We have developed a little family with the nurses and doctors. They didn't just treat my daughter, they got to know us and welcomed us into their arms."

The youngster's gruelling treatment was repeatedly worsened after developing around a dozen infections, including a number of fungal infections, line infections, pneumonia and two bouts of sepsis.

Miss McKay said: "She still had to have a lot of treatment after getting the all-clear and we never knew whether it was going to come back or not at that stage so it was very nerve-wracking.

"She developed quite a lot of infections while being treated.

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"Just before she rung the bell she became very ill again with sepsis. She fainted and turned grey and unresponsive and had to have an emergency operation.

"We nearly lost her that day."

Eastern Daily Press: Shari McKay pictured with her daughter Daisy and the rest of her family.Shari McKay pictured with her daughter Daisy and the rest of her family. (Image: Shari McKay)

The mother-of-seven, who gave up her job to care for Daisy, said the diagnosis changed her family's life.

She said: "At the time of her diagnosis, my eldest three were only 13, 15 and 16, so they were doing the cooking, cleaning and the school runs.

"They had to take on a lot as well. It effected the whole of the family.

"She's still in six months of recovery but once that's over it's time to look to the future and get our family back to normal.

"Daisy certainly has a personality now and is quite a character, which is lovely to see.

"She has a lot to catch up on but she's definitely the boss of the house.

"She loves going to school everyday, especially on PE days."