The little girl who's allergic to Easter

The four-year-old will have a miserable weekend watching her friends tucking into sweet treats, while she munches on carrots and Yorkshire pudding.

At Christmas, the youngster's letter to Santa contained a plea for "a new tummy" so she could enjoy the spring holiday with her friends.

But even he could not deliver miracles and Keavey is facing another year unable to eat chocolate and ice cream.

She suffers from the rare illness eosinophilic esophagitis, which means her body reacts violently to dairy products.

Her mother, Paula, a 31-year-old dinner lady from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said: "If she has chocolate she becomes violently sick, shakes uncontrollably and her body becomes inflamed with eczema.

"It's very distressing, not only for Keavey, but for the whole family.

"The doctors have told us she will have this for the rest of her life. But she's such a brave little fighter and she understands it is something she will have to live with.

"She just gets on with life without complaining, but now and again, if she's feeling mischievous, she will con someone into giving her chocolate."

Mrs Carrick added: "We know very quickly if she's eaten something she shouldn't because she becomes terribly ill."

Keavey's condition was only diagnosed a little over a year ago.

Mrs Carrick, whose husband Martin is a lorry driver, said: "It makes Easter really hard for her when she sees other kids tucking into their chocolate eggs.

"But she makes the best of the things she can eat. She really likes carrots and Yorkshire puddings made with soya milk.

"A trip to the shops is a nightmare. I have to read absolutely everything on the labels as anything with whey, lactose or milk powders and a score of other things is out."

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is an allergic inflammatory reaction of the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

The foods most associated with EE are cow's milk, soy, egg and wheat.