A December date they will never forget

Mum Charlene said the very worrying thing about this form of cancer is the fact there are very little symptoms.

She recalled how Katie had "not been herself" from earlier that month and had been in hospital for a week being treated for constipation.

"Over the weekend of the 18th,19th,20th December we became increasingly worried about her and then we realised on the Sunday that she had no feeling in her legs," said Charlene.

The couple explained how they decided to take Katie to the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast and arrived at A&E around 5pm.

Katie was seen to very quickly and looking back now, Charlene said it was quite obvious the doctors and nurses knew something very serious was going on.

"At one stage we were offered tea and toast and at that point I remember thinking 'oh no' this really isn't good."

Medical teams carried out a number of emergency tests and scans on Katie and prepared the family for a number of possibilities - one being a tumour.

At 11.20pm the McKnight family heard the news every family dreads - that Katie had cancer, an aggressive tumour - and she was being prepared for emergency surgery.

Charlene recalls, "I cannot think of any words to describe how we felt that night. It all happened so fast, she had so few symptoms and then we were told she had cancer."

As Katie was wheeled off to theatre, shell-shocked Charlene and Gareth were joined by Katie's two sets of devastated grandparents Irene and Kenny McKnight and Valerie and Trevor Beatty and the family minister. An agonising five hours later, the family were told Katie was out of theatre and in intensive care.

Dad Gareth said he will never forget seeing Katie lying in intensive care hooked up to various tubes and machines.

However, he said he was moved when Katie looked at him, through all the pain, and gave him the thumbs up!

Doctors in the Royal were very conscious of the fact that Charlene was 30 weeks pregnant and were understandably worried about her too.Charlene said, "It wasn't easy but I was determined to be by Katie's side. It was hard-going as she wanted on my knee and with the bump there was no room for her. My emotions were all over the place, but I got through it."

Worse was to come in the days that followed the surgery, as the family were told Katie had Stage 4 Neuroblastoma - the worst possible diagnosis.

Doctors also told them Katie had little chance of walking again, and this was a particularly cruel blow given the fact Katie was a very energetic active child who adored running about.