Brave West Bromwich teenager enjoys Christmas at home as she fights rare cancer

Jodie Millard, 14, from Dunkirk Avenue, West Bromwich, has to spend four-day periods at Birmingham Children's Hospital while receiving chemotherapy for the osteosarcoma, which resulted in her having her right leg amputated on August 14.

However, the teenager's mother Leasa Millard, 42, said the hospital had planned a rota that enabled her daughter to be at home for Christmas Day and she enjoyed a roast beef lunch and playing games with her family.

"I feel great to be home at Christmas because I get to spend all my time with my family. Even though I was in hospital, I was still able to see my family, but it is a better environment to be at home," Jodie said.

Mrs Millard said her daughter was learning to walk on a prosthetic leg supplied by the NHS, but the periods when she could use the limb were restricted because when she was receiving chemotherapy, her stump would swell up making it difficult to use the prosthetic and she would have to use a wheelchair instead.

She added Jodie was also set to receive a new electric wheelchair at the end of January, which would make it easier for her to get around while she learned to use the prosthetic, which could take two years and involved hill climbing and learning how to walk up and down steps.

"We were preparing ourselves for spending Christmas in hospital, but the hospital has been fantastic with the way it has worked the rota with the chemotherapy and the beds. The way they have done it, they have tried to ensure each child gets to spend time at home on Christmas Day," Mrs Millard added.

She also praised her son Jordan, 17, for the way he had handled his sister's condition and the support he had given her, while also completing his GCSEs.

The family is also in the process of setting up the Jodie Lou Foundation charity, which aims to raise money to pay for teenagers who have had limbs amputated due to cancer to be fitted with state-of-the-art prosthetics not available on the NHS, which would be similar to the new limbs received by soldiers who have lost legs in bomb blasts.

However, they need to raise £5,000 before they can register the foundation as a charity and are appealing to the public for donations.

Her school, the George Salter Academy, has been supportive in organising fund raising activities, while she has also received help from family and friends.

The teenager was diagnosed with osteosarcoma following a chance trampolining accident at school when she banged her leg.

The doctor initially gave her some gel to rub on her aching knee injury, suspecting that she had twisted or torn a ligament.

But eight weeks later Jodie was still in pain, and she was sent for an x-ray which is when the cancer was discovered.

After a bout of chemotherapy doctors eventually decided that she would have to have her right leg amputated and she had her operation on August 14.

Bone cancers are rare with only about 530 new cases each year in the UK. There are several different types of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma is one of the most common types and usually develops in growing bones.

Although it can occur at any age, it's most commonly found in teenagers and young adults. Any bone in the body can be affected, but the most common sites are the arms or legs, particularly around the knee joint.

Mrs Millard, who lives with her husband Mark, 41, has praised her daughter's reaction to the condition, saying: "Jodie has been fantastic, she's such an inspiration it's unreal.

"Any other 14-year-old I believe would be thinking their life was over, but Jodie has channelled that negative and turned it into a positive.

"She's moving on and wants to help other people in her situation, so that's when we decided to set up the foundation."

People can keep up to date with Jodie via social media.

As part of the fundraising drive people can buy keyrings for £5 plus postage and packaging.

Anyone wanting to find out more can search The Jodie Lou Foundation on Facebook, or see @thejodieloufou1 on Twitter.