A DREAM is about to come true for a six-year-old leukaemia sufferer from Horsforth -- thanks to the support of her community.

Brave Samantha Kitching, who has endured two years of painful chemotherapy, is counting down the days to when she meets her favourite Disneyland character in Florida.

The Kitching family will jet off to the sunshine state for three weeks for a dream holiday in mid-September

Samantha, a pupil at Westbrook Lane Primary School, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 1997 and her mother Heather, 33, and father Ashley, 36, wanted to treat their eldest daughter to a holiday to remember once the treatment was finished.

With the help of Heather's uncle, Paul Metcalfe; the Horsforth branch of the Bradford and Bingley Building Society, and charity Lewis Children's Cancer Care, the dream has now become a reality.

Mum Heather told The Wharfedale Observer: "I'm over the moon. Samantha's dream has come true and she is very excited about going to Florida. It's a holiday Samantha deserves after what she has been through.

"I'm grateful, surprised and touched by the support we've had from the people of Horsforth. There has been a tremendous response to our plight.

"Samantha has been so brave. There have been times when she didn't have the energy to get out of bed, but now she's going to Florida!"

The Kitching's originally started saving for the trip in December last year, but with the help of the community, their dream has become reality much sooner than expected.

Mr Metcalfe, who lives and owns a shop in Horsforth, raised nearly £2,300 by running the London Marathon.

And Town Street's Bradford and Bingley adopted the appeal and raised more than £500 by selling raffle tickets and metal badges.

The holiday has been organised by the Lewis Children's Cancer Care charity and the Kitchings, along with youngest daughter, Bethany, three, will stay for part of the holiday in the charity's purpose-built holiday home in Orlando.

And to top off Samantha's Florida treat, the plucky girl has just been given a clean bill of health.

Kate Willis, senior customer services adviser at Bradford and Bingley, said: "Horsforth is a very tight-knit community and when we heard of Samantha's dream of going to Florida, we really wanted to do something to help.

"We were over the moon with the level of support received from our customers and managed to raise £500 through selling charity badges and organising a branch raffle."

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