Brave Barrow girl with leukaemia elated after bedroom makeover

Aimee Robinson, who was diagnosed with cancer in January, was granted £2,750 to have her room transformed by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The work was primarily carried out by interior designer Anne Sowerby and Askam decorator Chris Shepherd last month, as they stripped her room bare and repainted it pink with an eye-catching 3D mural and a bunk bed.

Aimee, who returns to Manchester Children's Hospital next week to begin a second round of chemotherapy, is delighted with the end result and loves having her own den to relax in when she returns to her Chatsworth Street home in Barrow.

Aimee's mother Joanne Robinson, 38, and her father Paul, 43, struggled to put into words how much the makeover means to them as a family, with Aimee's sister Tilly, four, also getting her room redesigned as a special treat.

Mrs Robinson said: "It's brilliant. There are so many people out there that have come together to do this - people we don't even know and it's lovely to think that people have given up their precious time to do this for us.

"I get messages of support off strangers and it's amazing to see so many people behind us. I can't put it into words; it really does spur us on as a family."

The pair have kept a bedside vigil with Aimee in hospital during her treatment but the youngster needs a bone marrow transplant to beat the disease.

Mrs Robinson said: "It's the only thing that's going to save her. It's her only option because chemo didn't work the first time and now it's obviously come back.

"It's been tough for us as a family. Aimee said to me 'if we didn't have Make-A-Wish my bedroom would be the same wouldn't it?' Unfortunately money does get less and less because we aren't working but we're managing."

Mr Robinson added: "It's put the biggest smile on her face and it's nice to get her home every now and then so we can spend quality time together as a family."