THE youngest of Andrea Holland's two daughters, Nichola, was playing outside one day in June 2001 when, as all children do, she took a tumble.

That was the start of a nightmarish 12 months for Mrs Holland and her family, who live in Donney Brook in Evesham.

She recalls: "She had just gone out to play and tripped over the kerb. She was screaming and I knew then she had broken her arm.

"It broke quite easily and the doctors couldn't work out why it had broken so easily."

Nichola, then aged nine, was taken to Evesham hospital and then to Worcester where doctors were still confused. She went back again the next day, when the medical staff were able to confirm that she had a small cyst on a bone in the arm.

Nichola had several X-rays and after a couple of months of treatment, everything seemed to have healed. Then she went away on holiday with her father and in the rough and tumble of swimming pools and play she fell on her arm again.

Mrs Holland, aged 40, said: "When she went back to school her mood changed. She went very quiet and she wouldn't go out to play.

"Her arm was hurting so much and she wouldn't tell anyone."

Eventually when her mum realised what was happening she whisked Nichola to a doctor, where it was clear she had developed a tumour on her shoulder.

"It was diagnosed that she had cancer on October 30."

From that time through until May, Nichola was unable to attend Bengeworth First School because she was spending so much time receiving treatment for her illness and for much of the time was too ill to go to lessons.

"It is a very rare cancer called osteosarcona," explained Mrs Holland. "It is pretty rare in children and adults don't get it very often."

Nichola had to undergo several sessions of chemotherapy and lost much of her hair.

She has also had to have part of her upper arm bone removed and replaced with a titanium rod.

Nichola returned to school on a part-time basis in May and is now back full-time. Her mum said: "She's doing very well at the moment, but she will have to have check-ups for the rest of her life."

The titanium rod will have to be extended every six months as well until she has stopped growing.

The ordeal has been a tough one for Nichola, but Mrs Holland said: "She has been brilliant. She's coped very well and she's back to normal in many ways now. She doesn't let anything bother her really."

The last 12 months have also been a tough time for herself and her older daughter, Laura, now aged 16, but she said: "It has been traumatic, but you have to get on with things."

Nichola's spirit has also been praised by staff at her school. Headteacher David Braham said: "Nichola is a remarkable young lady and has faced all these trials with extraordinary courage and spirit. She has been an inspiration to other members of her class and, indeed, to the rest of the school."

The school is now entering a full team in the Race For Life at Cheltenham Racecourse on Sunday, July 7 to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

All the female teachers and other members of staff are joining in to form the B Team for the 5km race, where they will also be joined by Mrs Holland.