A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl who is battling a rare form of cancer is recovering from a potentially life-threatening infection days after an operation to remove her tumour.

Fraja Simpson contracted clostridium difficile as nearly 1,000 people attended events in County Durham and North Yorkshire over the weekend to raise funds for her to have treatment to reduce the risk of a recurrence of her neuroblastoma with MYCN amplification.

Fraja’s mother, Michelle, said the Leeming Community RAF Primary School pupil suffered a dangerous temperature, high blood pressure disgestive problems and pain three days after undergoing nine hours of surgery at Leeds General Infimary.

Mrs Simpson, of Leeming, near Bedale, said Fraja’s condition deteriorated rapidly with the infection before surgeons were able to identify it and dispel fears the infection was a result of the operation.

She said: “She has been through so much lately, her poor little body hurts all over.

“It is hard standing by, not being able to do anything, knowing every time I go to give her a cuddle it is painful.”

Mrs Simpson said Fraja had been buoyed after receiving hundreds of get well messages from hundreds of supporters and revealed her wish for a ride on the Wensleydale Railway.

More than 400 people visited the Leeming Bar to Redmire heritage railway line on Saturday for free trips on steam and diesel trains and donated £1,855 towards the Fraja Ellie Appeal, which aims to raise £500,000 for treatment in the US to cut her chances of having a relapse.

Ken Monkman, chairman of Wensleydale Railway Association, said it had chosen the appeal as its charity for the year and volunteers had wanted to return the support given to it by the community following the collapse of an embankment on the line earlier this year.

Fraja’s father, Garry, an flight sergeant with 90 Signals at RAF Leeming, visited his home town of Consett on Saturday to attend the Buzzy Bees family fun day and auction, which raised £4,405 and attracted more than 400 supporters.

Louise Cox, the event’s co-organiser, said: “We were absolutely delighted with the amount raised considering the wet weather, with people from Lanchester unable to get there due to the flooded roads.”

Organisers of the appeal, which has received celebrity backing from the casts of Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, said they hoped the fundraising total would pass the £50,000 milestone next week.