AN eight-year-old girl from Driffield is thought to be one of the youngest in the UK battling a rare type of ovarian cancer.

Sophie Fry was rushed to Scarborough Hospital in February after suffering abdominal pains.

Her family were heartbroken when an ultrasound scan later revealed she had germ cell tumour of the ovary.

Within days, the youngster underwent a six-hour operation at St James's Hospital in Leeds to remove her left ovary after the tumour discovered during the scan had more than trebled in size.

As part of the surgery, the tumour was found to have ruptured, meaning Sophie is now undergoing chemotherapy and has lost her hair.

Sophie's mother, Heidi Fry, 33, recalled the moment she found out about her daughter's condition.

She said: "It was a massive shock, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't take it in. It's hard enough to come to terms with it yourself but when you have to explain to your child what's wrong with them and what cancer is, it's unbelievably difficult."

Mrs Fry's mother, Vivienne Wilkins, explained to her granddaughter that she would lose her long hair due to the chemotherapy treatment she needed.

When Sophie was told, she was devastated and replied: "Well I'll keep my cancer so I can keep my hair."

Sophie has two final sessions of chemotherapy at the end of the week and mid-June.

Mrs Fry, a nurse, said she and her husband, Gavin, 32, and their two other children, Joshua, 10, and Katy, 15 months, are praying Sophie will pull through.

If she recovers, Sophie will return for check-ups and monitoring for a further five years.

Relatives and supporters have this week launched a fundraising campaign to help the When You Wish Upon A Star charity – which has paid for Sophie and her family to enjoy a holiday to Centre Parcs this summer – and the hospital unit caring for her.

Sophie is planning to run a tombola at a fundraising day later this month.