Cancer girl sees baby sister before losing sight for good

Scarlett Hellewell, five, was diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumour last February which means she will eventually completely lose her sight.

After her diagnosis, Scarlett told her mother Paula that she was desperate for a younger sister to look after and now her dreams have come true after tiny Willow May was born last month.

Scarlett, from Halifax, is already totally blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other, and faces losing her vision entirely as the tumour can only be slowed down, not erased entirely.

Ms Hellewell, 39, who gave birth to Willow May on May 7, said the new arrival has left Scarlett delighted.

The mother-of-six, who is a home support worker, said: "One of her wishes last August, when it was realised that she was deteriorating, was that she wanted a little baby brother or sister. She said that it was something to look forward to and she wanted to be a big sister.

"When I told Scarlett that I was pregnant she was absolutely over the moon - she got so excited. We were determined that she would get to see her sibling before she lost her sight completely and we have no idea when that will be."