A BRAVE little girl from Kidderminster celebrated the end of two tough years of cancer treatment by ringing a bell in her street.

Franche Primary schoolgirl Mia Chamberlain was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia two years ago - at the age of five - after her mum found a lump at the top of her thigh.

Mia was referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital, and after originally being told she had lymphoma, was diagnosed with leukemia.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Mia Chamberlain was diagnosed with cancer at the age of fiveMia Chamberlain was diagnosed with cancer at the age of five

Mum-of-two Erin Galloway, 36, said: "It's horrific when you hear a doctor say your child has cancer, it completely knocks you off your feet.

"She wasn't poorly, she was full of energy, she had none of the typical symptoms you would expect from childhood leukemia. She just woke up one morning with a lump on her thigh.

"In an instant, your life changes - for everybody, not just for Mia - her younger brother Thomas especially. Everything just stops. It's just awful."

Mia began intensive chemotherapy, and after the first phase of treatment, received the brilliant news she was in remission.

Erin said: "She was very poorly for the first two phases of treatment. She had a lengthy stay at the children's hospital because she wasn't eating anything.

"She lost the ability to walk so she's had to learn to walk all over again.

"Mia has always had a very good understanding of what was going on. We were getting a lot of very difficult questions - she asked me outright once if she was going to die.

"All you want to say is no, but you can't because you don't know that. I just picked her up and said the doctors were doing everything they could and gave her a big cuddle."

After two years of treatment, seven-year-old Mia went to hospital for her last session of intravenous chemo in April, and on May 15, she took her last oral dose.

Erin said: "Mia took her tablets and threw her arms around me.

"The next day, she said to me 'guess what mummy, no chemo today'.

"I'm still pinching myself - she's just getting on with her life like nothing happened."

Mia was looking forward to ringing the hospital bell to mark the end of her treatment, but due to coronavirus, the celebration had to be postponed.

Erin said: "We had booked a party for her and all of her friends. Because she has been immunosuppressed she hasn't been able to attend any parties.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Cancer survivor Mia Chamberlain and her little brother Thomas celebrate the end of her chemo treatmentCancer survivor Mia Chamberlain and her little brother Thomas celebrate the end of her chemo treatment

"She was feeling quite deflated after two years of everyone telling her how amazing the end of her treatment would be."

Determined to make the day special, Mia's family got hold of a charity which supplies the bells, and arranged for her dad and grandparents to stand at the top of the drive to watch Mia ring it.

Erin said: "It was only meant to be family, but it just snowballed.

"A few of her friends turned up and her three class teachers, her headteacher at Franche and the assistant head, plus lots of people from our estate in Habberley.

"Everyone maintained social distancing, but it was just great to be able to share that moment with everyone."