CHRISTMAS has come early for a youngster who successfully battled against cancer.

Next month, Hailey Lamb, 12, of Seaham, County Durham, who was born with Down's syndrome, will have been free from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia for six years.

After being diagnosed just before her fifth birthday, Hailey underwent a year of intensive chemotherapy, followed by a year of maintenance chemotherapy.

She spent a lot of time on the children's cancer ward of the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, and, because her immune system was weak, fell prey to viruses and suffered a second bout of pneumonia - having previously had the disease when she was two.

But Hailey, who had a hole in her heart that healed naturally, overcame the leukaemia.

Her mother, Joan, said: "Despite all the treatment, Hailey has just got on with life. She went back to school in September 1999 and, from then, started to get much better."

Staff at the Peacocks fashion store in Market Square, Sunderland, have given the youngster a Christmas stocking filled with goodies.

With one in 500 British children being diagnosed with cancer before the age of 15, Peacocks is encouraging people in the North-East to support Cancer Research UK's festive fundraising campaign.

Nationally, the store chain has pledged to raise £300,000 for the charity's work.

Mrs Lamb said: "It is wonderful to see Hailey being honoured by Peacocks.

"Hailey is a great little girl. She is loved by everyone who knows her and is always laughing and smiling. She's coped with more in 12 years than most people do in a lifetime."

Julia Haran, the charity's North-East spokeswoman, said: "About 1,500 children each year are diagnosed with cancer. The good news is that more than seven out of ten with cancer are now successfully treated in the UK and more than 80 per cent of children survive the most common type of childhood leukaemia.

"Cancer Research UK is committed to supporting research into cancer and we are grateful to the contribution Peacocks is making to help us achieve our goal."

To make a donation to Cancer Research UK this Christmas, call the fundraising office on 0191-281 8288, visit Peacocks stores or log on to www.cancer researchuk. org/christmasfundraising