A BRAVE girl who is fighting cancer is doing well after undergoing a transplant - which involved a donor match from Australia.

Aimee Robinson, who has leukaemia, has responded well to an umbilical cord blood transplant at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

An umbilical cord from Australia, which had been stored since 2009, was used for the Barrow 11-year-old's transplant.

Cord blood is an alternative to using bone marrow. It is rich in stem cells which can be used to restore the function of the immune and blood-producing systems.

After getting to spend Christmas at home with her family, Aimee had intensive chemotherapy in the new year ahead of having the transplant at the end of last month.

The St James' CE Junior School pupil then spent three weeks in isolation, and from this week she has been in semi-isolation.

Mum Joanne, and dad Paul, have been staying with Aimee in hospital and using the Ronald McDonald House facility. Aimee's sister, Tilly, four, is at home with family in Barrow.

The family have been using Facetime to speak to Tilly, but they were looking forward to seeing each other for the first time in three weeks today.

Joanne said: "Everything is looking positive and really good. Aimee is doing really well, the doctors are really pleased with her.

"We are relieved that everything has gone really well. We didn't know how she would react after the transplant."

Aimee has been fighting leukaemia since January 2016. Her family are extremely proud of how she has coped with all the treatments and times when she has been very poorly.

Aimee also took being in isolation in her stride. She was fed through a line but is now eating.

Mrs Robinson said: "She coped well in isolation, she was allowed out this week and she has been to Ronald McDonald House with us. She is also eating now."

The family is extremely grateful to the medical team at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

It is hoped that Aimee can come home in the next couple of weeks. She will also be in semi-isolation at home.