THE family of a six-year-old girl who has just been given the all clear after battling a rare cancer have urged fundraisers to sign up for the OX5 Run.

After falling from the sofa last year Anna Drysdale complained of a strange feeling in her arm, which after several tests, turned out to be a tumour across her whole upper arm.

She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in February and spent most of the year at Oxford Children's Hospital, undergoing a course of chemotherapy.

In May she had a major operation which saw a bone in her leg reconstructed to give her a new upper arm and shoulder.

But earlier this week she was given the all clear after a series of scans.

Her mum Keeley Drysdale praised staff at the hospital and rallied the troops to take part in the OX5 Run to raise money.

The 44-year-old, from Chipping Norton, said: "They have been absolutely incredible from day one - being told that about your child is the scariest thing you are ever going to hear.

"But from the first moment we have never been kept in the dark, everyone has been open and honest and just so caring

"They have supported us all as a family and we are so grateful."

Along with her husband Ian, 45, she stayed at the hospital regularly with Anna and said the caring nature of the staff brightened up the family's darkest hours.

She said: "They really put Anna at ease from the very start, they treat her like she's a really good friend and she trusts them.

"She had fun even during the darkest days of chemotherapy - if there was ever fun to be had they made it happen.

"Obviously there's a lot of fear involved and she was scared of the procedures and of feeling sick but she has never been upset and not once said she didn't want to go to the hospital."

As a result of their experience the whole family - including Anna's sisters Ellen, 11 and Sarah, 16 - have signed up for the Oxford Mail's OX5 Run at Blenheim Palace on March 25.

Money from this year's run will continue to contribute towards a new 62-bedroom parental accommodation facility next to the hospital.

Although the Drysdales have regularly stayed at the hospital, after Anna's major surgery in May there were no beds available and only one parent was allowed to stay in the high dependency unit.

Mrs Drysdale said: "Ian found it very difficult, we really wanted to both be close to her.

"If we had that accommodation we could have both spent time with her and done shifts by her bed."

She added: "We have friends and family from the Wirral - where we are originally from - and friends in Devon and Southampton who have signed up so hopefully we will have a big team and raise lots of money."

The family has launched a fundraising page - go to justgiving.com/fundraising/teamanna2018.

Sign up to the run - sponsored by Allen Associates - by going to ox5run.co.uk