THREE months after undergoing pioneering stem cell treatment, little Sophie Edwards is clear from leukaemia and doing well.

The eight-year-old still has to undergo tests and she and her family face an agonising wait of up to two years to find out if the life-saving treatment has been a complete success.

But the Newsome youngster has responded well and parents Emma and Andrew are remaining positive about Sophie’s future.

Emma said: “It’s one of those things that takes time, but we’re remaining positive.

“Sophie is still all clear of leukaemia and tests are ongoing, but she’s responded well to the treatment so we’re keeping our fingers and toes crossed that she’ll continue to make progress.”

Sophie has come a long way since doctors gave her and her family the heart-breaking news that her first bone marrow transplant failed.

The youngster was diagnosed with the condition in February last year, which was complicated by the fact that she had the rare Philadelphia Syndrome.

A suitable match was found and Sophie underwent a bone marrow transplant last year.

Sadly, the transplant failed and in February this year Sophie became the first child to have ground-breaking stem cell treatment in Leeds.

Emma says this was an agonising time for the family.

She said: “It was awful when we found out the transplant had failed.

“Sophie was devastated, because she’d been doing everything right, like not going out and seeing her friends and this was another kick in the face.

“She’d felt like she was getting better and now she was back at square one.”

Consultants suggested stem cell treatment, using part of the original bone marrow that had been left over from the previous transplant.

But this treatment brought new worries for the Edwards family.

Emma said: “Because Sophie was the first child to have this treatment, doctors couldn’t really predict what would happen because how a child responds can be very different to an adult.

“She was very poorly at first and in and out of hospital all the time, but she’s doing much better now.

“She was out of hospital a lot quicker, which was lovely for us as a family because we spent most of last year in hospital.”

Sophie has to take anti-rejection medication and antibiotics and, although she can now go out with her family, she still has to avoid places with lots of people and where she can pick up infections.

Emma said: “It’s very frustrating for Sophie because she still can’t do all the things a normal eight-year-old does like go out and shopping and see her friends. She also gets tired very easily.

“But she understands the reason and she can do more normal things now so she’s a lot happier.

“Her hair, which fell out during the chemotherapy, has now grown back all thick and curly!”

“She’s always been a positive child, despite all her knock-backs and now she’s looking forward more.”

Sophie is still having tests, but her blood levels have improved and she has now gone a month without having to visit hospital.

Bone marrow tests so far have shown that Sophie is clear of the cancer.

Emma said: “Sophie’s health can change at any time and we’ve got to be realistic.

“It can take up to two years for the bone marrow to take.

“It’s a case of taking each day at a time, but we are really hopeful that she’ll keep getting better.”