FAMILY and friends have been rallying together to support a brave six-year-old girl who is set to go to America for specialist cancer treatment.

The parents of Prestwich youngster Lilly Reynolds were left devastated when they discovered a lump on her chest at the end of April and took her to Royal Oldham Hospital for tests.

Lilly, who attends Our Lady of Grace RC Primary School in Prestwich, was diagnosed with cancer on May 6 and has been undergoing chemotherapy at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester since.

Mum Natasha Walsh is now preparing to accompany her daughter on a 10-week trip to America where she will undergo specialist treatment.

To make the journey as comfortable as possible for Lilly, money is being raised for a support fund, which is also aimed at enabling Lilly to go to Disney World in Florida around the time of her birthday on August 8.

A fundraiser is taking place at the Village Hotel in Bury tomorrow (Friday) night when Natasha's friends Maria Jones, Danny Potter and Stuart Ogden will cycle non-stop on exercise bikes for a full day.

Lilly's schoolfriends and teachers have also been collecting money and Natasha, who works as a pharmacy assistant at Tesco supermarket in Valley Park Road, Prestwich, said her employers have been extremely supportive.

"It has been a horrible time for all the family. Everything has been like a whirlwind because it's happened so fast, but Lilly has done very well. She is so brave," said Natasha, aged 29.

She added: "Everyone has been really supportive. I never knew that people could be so nice.

"My phone never stops ringing and everyone is always asking after her."

Doctors have told Natasha and Lilly's father, Thomas Reynolds, aged 33, that she will have to undergo nine rounds of chemotherapy in total. She will soon start her fourth course.

The NHS is funding Lilly's radiotherapy treatment in Jacksonville, Florida. The treatment takes less time and has fewer side effects than chemotherapy and the hope is that it will help kill cancer cells more efficiently and further reduce the risk of them returning.

Natasha added: "It's tough for Lilly, but she never stops smiling.

"One of the hardest points is that she has lost her hair but it hasn't affected her as much as I thought it would. She just keeps fighting.

"She loves to swim and to sing and dance like any six-year-old and she loves Disney, so it would be wonderful to be able to take her to Disney World."

Natasha also praised all the staff on Ward 84 at St Mary's Hospital and her parents and siblings for their ongoing support.

To sponsor the cyclists: e-mail Maria Jones via jones_maria2000@yahoo.co.uk