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Eight-year-old to sound cancer 'all-clear' bell

Andy Giddings
BBC News, West Midlands
Debra O'Kelly A young girl with short dark hair, purple-framed glasses and a grey patterned jumper, smiling, with one arm raised, in front of a brick wall with a wooden gate.Debra O'Kelly
Dulcie has had to miss three years of her childhood while treatment was ongoing

An eight-year-old girl is due to ring a bell to mark the end of three years of cancer treatment on Monday.

Dulcie, from Telford, was diagnosed with a stage four neuroblastoma in 2021 and underwent chemotherapy, surgery and two sets of clinical trials.

Her mother, Debra, said: "I can't wait for her to ring the bell because the last three years have been the most horrific of our lives."

She has been raising money to take her daughter to Disneyland Paris and said she wanted to create some "happy memories" for her.

When Dulcie received her diagnosis in November 2021, her mother said: "Our entire world changed completely."

Although surgeons removed a 1.2kg (2.6lb) mass in 2022, it was found to have spread, and the family had to turn to clinical trials as chemotherapy was not able to reduce it.

Debra said they finally got the happy news that there was "no evidence of disease" a fortnight ago, and Dulcie would ring a bell at Birmingham Children's Hospital to mark the end of her treatment.

Debra added: "I just know I'm going to be an absolute mess, because it means she's done it, she's got through it and she's going to be ok."

Debra O'Kelly A young girl with short dark hair, purple-framed glasses, a white T-shirt with the words Care Bears on it, and pale blue jeans. She has her right hand on a light brown dog and her left is doing a V for victory symbol. She is standing in front of a fireplace with a TV screen above it and there is a chair with a pink cushion on it to the side.Debra O'Kelly
Dulcie is looking forward to meeting Disney characters, including Stitch in Paris

Debra said her family had endured some dark moments over the past three years.

She said: "You never expect your six-year-old child to say mommy, just let the nurses kill me, I just want to die."

That came after Dulcie told her she was fed up with life and, if this was what it was going to be like, she didn't want it.

Since 2021, Debra said their lives had been on hold and "everything has just revolved around Dulcie and just trying to get her back well".

After spending three years in the company of adults she wanted to give her daughter a chance to be a girl again.

"We want to make new happy memories for her because she will tell you she does not remember anything before cancer," she explained.

More than £2,000 has been raised to take her and Dulcie to Disneyland Paris, and they also hope to visit the Eiffel Tower.

After three years of cancer, Debra said it would be a chance to go somewhere without having to worry about the treatment waiting for them back home.

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