TEENAGERKimberley Stobbs got the birthday present she had been wishing for - being back at home with her family.

The youngster from Burnhope, near Consett, was diagnosed with leukaemia last August.

Her sister Kate, ten, donated bone marrow in January for a life-saving transplant.

The family faced an agonising wait, with Kimberley being discharged from hospital twice, then re-admitted. She finally returned from hospital in time to celebrate her 15th birthday this week.

Her mother, Marie Lumley, said: "Kimberley came home about a month ago and the very next day she had to go straight back to hospital because she had an infection. We were all so upset.

"But this time she is home for good. She is so happy to be at home again, and she will be able to go back to school soon."

The family held a party for Kimberley's birthday and home-coming last Friday night at the Wishing Well pub in Burnhope.

Her father, Frank Stobbs, said: "We are so pleased she is finally home. Now that she is home everything can get back to normal.

"I had to stop work for a while so that we could stay at the hospital and it was really exhausting. Kate is over the moon to have her big sister back and she has a bit of normality back as well. She can go and play with her friends after school, instead of coming to the hospital every night.

"Kimberley has been seeing all her friends again since she came home and she has been going out for the day every so often.

"She went into school last week to get used to it and can start attending lessons again after half term."