A brave girl who is battling a brain tumour has gone back to school - and this is what she wrote on her first day back

A brave Lyla has gone back to school for the first time in six months – and this is what she wrote on her first day.

Dad Paul O’Donovan, from Hartlepool, has described the emotional day that his daughter Lyla, 7, had on her return to the classroom.

"There were tears on the morning before she went in but she was fine when she was there.”

And in one of the first tasks of the day, all the children were asked to write a letter to themselves. Lyla’s contained a poignant message in which she told herself that she hoped to be a nurse in the future ‘because they help sick people get better’.

Lyla had the 10th operation on her brain earlier this year.

Her surgery at Newcastle’s RVI hospital on Friday, May 22, was carried out to try to reduce the number of dangerous and frightening seizures she regularly suffers.

It was her tenth time on the operating table since she was diagnosed with the tumour in 2016 at the age of just three.

Dad Paul, who now lives in Ushaw Moor in Durham, believes her life full of hospital visits has shaped her hopes for the future.

Lyla's letter which tells of her hope that she can become a nurse one day.

"She has seen lots of nurses look after poorly kids. It is what she has seen most of her life. If you asked 100 children who have pretty much lived in hospital what they want to be when they are older, 90 of them would say a nurse or a doctor. Especially Lyla who is a really caring person and wants to help others.”

Sadly, Lyla may not be able to stay at school for long as she faces a visit to specialists in Bristol for further tests early next month.

In the meantime. she is enjoying her time with her schoolmates at Bearpark Primary School and also looking forward to a charity challenge soon.

On Sunday, September 13, Paul will walk from his current home in Ushaw Moor to the Angel of the North and hopes loads of people will join him for a day to remember.

Lyla O’Donovan and her dad Paul O'Donovan.

He will be dressed as Princess Aurora and said: “I’m going to go the whole way and get the hair and high heeled shoes and everything.”

Not everyone taking part in the walk has to dress as a princess but they do have to don a Disney outfit.

Paul previously told the Hartlepool Mail: “I am doing it as a princess because that is what Lyla wants and if you are going to do it, you might as well go all out.”

Lyla has had ten operations on her brain so far and six of them have been at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Paul added: “We chose the route because the Angel of the North has always been a comfort to Lyla on her way to hospital.”

Paul, also dad to Henry, Olivia, Lilley and Reece, documents Lyla’s ups and downs on the Facebook page Lyla's Brain Tumour Journey where more details on the sponsored walk are also available.

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