A FAMILY who overcome the 'scariest day of their lives' after being told seven-year-old Anna Drysdale had bone cancer has pledged their support to the OX5 Run.
After falling from the sofa last year Anna complained of a strange feeling in her arm, which after several tests, turned out to be a tumour across her whole upper arm.
The youngster's Osteosarcoma diagnosis in February 2017 meant she and her family, from Chipping Norton,spent most of the next gruelling year in Oxford Children's Hospital with Anna undergoing chemotherapy.
Anna, aged six at the time, had major surgery which saw a bone from her leg reconstructed to give her a new upper arm and shoulder.
By January this year she had been given the all clear and her parents put her recovery down to the amazing skills and support of staff at Oxford Children's Hospital.
As a thank you the Drysdales, including parents Keeley and Ian, sisters Sarah, 17, and Ellen, 12, and Anna even in her wheelchair at the time took on the Oxford Mail OX5 Run - and bagged the title of top fundraisers.
Team Anna raised more than £7,500 in total contributing to a record-breaking year for the annual event.
Mrs Drysdale said: "The run for us was a really happy, fun day, after a really difficult year with Anna's cancer treatment.
"Our team was made up of 50 crazy-wig wearing runners including friends, family and teaching staff from Anna's School [Holy Trinity School].
"It was such a wonderful sight and a real celebration of how Anna is doing, as well as a thank you to the incredible care she had from the children's hospital."
She added: "The actual care and treatment Anna received was out of this world, everyone was so caring not just to Anna but our whole family to support us through such a difficult time."
The youngster is 'doing really well' and back at school almost full time, whilst having weekly physiotherapy to strengthen her new arm.
The family are determined to take on the challenge again and have pledged to run the five-mile fun run as Team Anna with as many friends and family as possible.
Mrs Drysdale added: "If you are going through treatment as a family it is a fun way of cheering everyone up and is a real boost during a difficult time.
"A day to celebrate the amazing work of the Children's Hospital."
The OX5 Run, sponsored by Allen Associates, will be held on Sunday, March 24, at Blenheim Palace. For more details on the five-mile fundraisers see ox5run.co.uk
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