London, Aug 23 (ANI): Mandy Kelly and six-year-old Eve are more than just the ordinary mother-daughter duo – they’ve beaten cancer four times between them.

Mandy and Eve have both struggled with cancer and have successfully fought it off each time.

The Mirror quoted Mandy as saying: “We have beaten it together, and that really is a miracle…We have been there for each other and gave each other the strength to fight on.”

Eve took nine months of chemotherapy to come off the cancer, which started in her kidneys and spread to her lungs.

As Eve continued her fight with cancer, Mandy’s breast cancer reappeared. The 47-year-old had already battled cancer twice but this time she need a needed a mastectomy (surgical removal of breasts completely or partially).

And this time the mother drew inspiration from her daughter’s courage.

Mandy said: “I knew if she could do it, I could do it too…Eve gave me the strength to beat it again. She knew I had already beaten cancer twice when she was diagnosed, so that encouraged her.

“She had seen me come through it, and so could she.”

Mandy, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 and it was cured after treatment.

But in autumn of 2003, Mandy developed a new lump in her breast. The cancer had reappeared.

She said: “I couldn’t believe it…this hit me harder than the first time I was diagnosed with cancer as I now had a baby less than a year old. Eve had been a miracle baby for Richard and me as I’d conceived against all the odds. To be told that my cancer had come back was devastating.

“And it was tough trying to cope with a 10-month baby and having treatment for cancer as well. But Richard and my family gave me lots of support so I could get through it.

“My sister would have Eve when I went to hospital for my radiotherapy, or she’d come to hospital with me and wait with her in the waiting room.”

Fortunately for Mandy, her cancer was tracked in its initial stage. The lump was removed and she was declared fit.

Everything was going well, when in October 2006, Eve fell ill. Her scan showed signs of a kidney tumour.

Mandy said: “This time, our world really did fall apart. To be told my three-year-old girl had cancer as well was too much to bear. I asked whether I could have passed it on in the womb and doctors reassured me I hadn’t. It was just terrible bad luck.”

Eve’s cancer was fast spreading to her lungs, so doctors fixed her an aggressive chemo session that ended in July 2007.

Last June Mandy was diagnosed with cancer for the third time. Now she was required to undergo a mastectomy. And she drew courage from her daughter.

“We were there for each other,” Mandy said. “When we felt low, we loved to sit on the sofa watching children’s TV and having a cuddle. I knew I could beat it again. I had to do it for Eve, because she’d been so brave.

“And it was nothing compared to watching her go through treatment. That was the toughest thing of all.”

Mandy completed the Race For Life event for Cancer Research to celebrate her recovery. This was her ninth year of participation and even Eve joined in with her.

She said: “Walking across the finish line with my little girl was an amazing feeling…. That mum-daughter thing is very special between us.

“In all, we’ve faced cancer four times – and we couldn’t have done it without each other.” (ANI)