A little girl who is deaf and has profound and multiple learning difficulties is facing a brighter future after her determined mother battled through layers of red tape to secure her access to the very best education.

Mother Nicola Slator, along with her family and supporters, worked round the clock for two years, accumulating evidence to put before education chiefs detailing why seven-year-old Rebecca needed extra support in the classroom.

However, that work paid off in January when a special educational needs appeal panel ruled the youngster was entitled to more help from Education Bradford.

Rebecca, who attends Branshaw School, a special school in Keighley, and Swain House School, a mainstream school with special needs provision, will have now have one-to-one full-time support in the class room and a teacher for the deaf one-and-half-hours a week.

She will also have physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy provided. The decision has left the family, which includes dad Robert and brother Charlie, nine, overjoyed.

"When we got the letter I could not believe what it was saying," said Mrs Slator, 42, of Bingley.

"It actually was giving us more than we had asked for. The result of the appeal, will I hope, give Rebecca greater chances of maximising her full potential in life. Maybe she will be able to talk or communicate with us in some way.

"A lot of people are saying this is a momentous victory for children like her. It has set a precedent for other profound, multiple learning difficulties and cochlear implant children in special schools."

Rebecca has battled against the odds all her life. Before she was even born doctors warned her family the chances of her thriving were slim because of her serious health conditions.

When she was born tests revealed problems, including a heart condition which required surgery, a gap between her throat and stomach, microcephely (small head with learning disabilities), epilepsy and deafness.

"We still do not know the full extent of things and more are coming out throughout her life," said Mrs Slator.

"No one is prepared to give us a prognosis but at the moment she is making progress and we need to maximise that before her brain stops growing."

Despite the extent of Rebecca's difficulties she amazes people with achievements and it was this which inspired the mother-of-two to continue her battle against the authorities.

She pushed for Rebecca to be fitted with cochlear implants to enable her to hear when doctors in Bradford were initially unsure how much benefit they would be, because of her learning difficulties.

However, after the operation in 2005, Rebecca's balance began to improve. Not long after she began to walk.

Much of Rebecca's progress is down to visits to the British Institute for Brain Injured Children in Somerset and also the Elizabeth Foundation in Bradford, a charity which works with hearing impaired children from birth to school age.

Margaret Southern, of the Foundation, supported the family through the special educational needs appeal process as she agreed it was vital Rebecca continued to receive intensive support.

A representative of the National Deaf Children's Society also attended the appeal to support the family.

Now Mrs Slator, who was reduced to tears because of the pressures, says she would like to put together a website to help other families facing a similar battle. I do not know what I would have done without a computer at home," she said. "Postage costs have been phenomenal and we had to pay for private reports and assessments.

"It has been worth it for Rebecca but the impact on my son has been huge. I was always on the phone and where did Charlie fit into all this? It is not right and it has not been easy for him. He is special too."

A spokesman for Education Bradford said: "Rebecca is the only pupil in the Bradford district we support with such complex medical needs and learning difficulties.

"Special educational needs tribunals deal with these matters on a individual basis."