Brave Lyla's fairytale birthday as she stars at her own princess party

Brave Lyla who recently underwent touch-and-go surgery to remove a brain tumour was given the fairytale entrance to mark her fourth birthday.

The tot and her mum Kirsty, 30, and Paul, 31, had feared she may not be able to attend the party at Hartlepool Rugby Club, due to catching meningitis last week.

But luckily, Lyla was allowed out of Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, for the weekend so the family could return to their home town for the party, organised by Hartlepool charity Miles for Men.

The youngster had remained in hispital since undergoing a high-risk 15-hour operation, in which surgeons managed – against the odds – to remove the tumour from her brain stem, without causing lasting damage to her brain and spine.

Kirsty said: “She is recovering from meningitis, which she caught last week, but other than that she’s doing really well. They’ve just been running tests, and she’s had a leak at the back of her head.

“We were determined that she was going to be here and they gave us all the medication that she needs until she gets back to hospital.”

It is now looking highly likely that Lyla will make a full recovery, and she was joined at the party by siblings Reece, 11, Olivia, 10, Lilley, eight, and Harry, five.

“It’s just going to take time,” Kristy said.

“She’s had to get through so much and she did it against all the odds too.

“The party is just lovely for her.

“She shouldn’t be here, so for her to be here now is really overwhelming.”

Despite the gruelling medical treatment the determined girl was finding it hard to keep still in hospital.

“They had to sedate her because she kept wanting to get up. When she was on the ventilator she kept trying to talk to us.

“She’s pulled through herself.”

Lori Sneddon, who was one of a team of six organisers from Miles for Men, said: “I went to school with Paul and I just wanted to make sure she had the best day possible.

“It’s brilliant now everything has gone to plan. Seeing it all come together has been beautiful.”