But six weeks later, as Dave and Amy Winston-Hart spoke to doctors at Kettering General Hospital, the worst was confirmed – three days after her third birthday their daughter Eva had been diagnosed with leukaemia.

The news came like a bolt from the blue, but speaking to the Mail this week, Eva's mum Amy says nothing could have prepared the family for the year they had to come.

"Eva hadn't been herself so we took her to the GP, who referred her to the hospital, " said Amy.

Amy's grandad, Arthur Winston, had been diagnosed with Myeloid leukaemia just a week before, while Dave's dad Alan Hart had died of the condition when Dave was just four.

"When they started talking about white blood cells I knew what it meant because we had been there a week before. It was still a shock to be told though, a bolt out of the blue. She'd never even been poorly before.

"We lost grandad about two weeks later so it was like a barrage."

Doctors at Leicester Royal Infirmary confirmed Eva was suffering with the rare Philadelphia positive strain of leukaemia, meaning she needed a bone marrow transplant to stand any chance of survival.

The Mail featured Eva's plight on its front cover in December, urging readers to sign up to a bone marrow donor session which the paper and her family were trying to get organised to try to find a match for Eva in Harborough.

"It all snowballed from there really," said Amy. "Hundreds of people turned up for the first testing session. It was so amazing I don't think I'll ever get over it. I was heart-broken that we had to turn people away because the response was so fantastic."

TV appearances followed as national and regional media picked up on Eva's plight. But the family had to wait until March 26 for the news they were hoping for – an umbilical cord stored in the US was a match for Eva.

Amy said: " We had been feeling a bit lost after the donor sessions. You know they're searching the world for a match but all you can do is sit and wait and wonder if Eva is ever going to see her next birthday or Christmas. We were just getting to the end of our tether so when we were told there was just a feeling of relief."

Eva had her transplant of stem cells harvested from the umbilical cord in May but months of treatment followed as Eva was given anti-rejection drugs and steroids to bolster her weakened immune system.

"She's still on medication four times a day. We have lost some medicines but gained others along the way as her treatment has gone on," said Amy.

"But day-to-day she is much more back to her old self now. In the last month she has really got her sense of humour back, though she still has some mobility problems."

Amy said the help of fundraisers, who donated almost £4,000 to help with Eva's care through sponsored cricket matches, darts tournaments and other charity events, had been invaluable, adding: "The generosity of people has been fantastic.