Brave Caitlin, 5, is princess for a day (From Thurrock Gazette)

Brave Caitlin, 5, is princess for a day

3:00pm Friday 28th September 2012 in News

A LITTLE girl who is battling leukaemia will see one of her dearest wishes come true today (Friday).

Five-year-old Caitlin Foulger will be the belle of the ball at a special party being thrown in her honour at Ye Olde Plough House, in Bulphan.

The youngster, from Grays, will get to dress as Aurora, her favourite Disney princess, and arrive at the party by horse drawn carriage, thanks to the Starlight Foundation.

However, one of the biggest treats for Caitlin will be getting to wear a beautiful long wig for the day, as she has had to endure people’s stares and even people crossing the street to avoid her since losing her hair through chemotherapy.

Caitlin’s mum, Alisha, 24, said: “Caitlin lost her hair after chemotherapy and she gets very upset when people stare and asks me why.

“We’ve even had adults crossing the street.

“It makes me really angry – I feel like telling them ‘it’s cancer, you can’t catch it’.”

Caitlin was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leu-kaemia in January and was in and out of hospital for 16 weeks.

Alisha, from Seabrooke Rise, said: “It has been tough because at first the chemotherapy wasn’t working as quickly as the doctors would have liked, so they put her on a very aggressive chemotherapy and so far she has responded really well. She was having to be fed through a nasal tube before as she couldn’t eat, but she finally got rid of that two weeks ago.”

For two years the brave youngster will have to have chemotherapy at home, with a combination of oral medicines and steroids every day, and she is now looking forward to starting school at Quarry Hill Primary, in Grays, in a few weeks time.

Alisha said Caitlin knows something special is happening today, but doesn’t know exactly what.

She said: “The charity asked her what she wished for most and she said to be a princess.

“I think Caitlin will be gobsmacked when she gets to the party, just blown away.

”She’s such a happy, chatty little girl, so I’m sure she won’t stop talking about it after.”