Brave Ellie Davidson is recovering well after her life-saving bone marrow transplant on Friday.

When the seven-year-old was diagnosed with leukaemia last September her family was told she would need a bone marrow transplant.

And just before Christmas they discovered a perfect match had been found in Germany.

Her mum Hannah Mortimer, 28, of Riverbourne Road, Collingbourne Ducis, said: “She’s doing really well, better than expected; the doctors are really pleased with her. We were told that she would probably have a sore mouth, it’s called mucositis and it affects all the way from her mouth to her bottom, but at the moment she is eating and drinking well.

“She is on anti-rejection medication and she’s had a nasal feeding tube attached as a precaution for when she’s not able to eat by herself.

“Things can change but at the moment she’s coping really well and just recovering, after everything it’s nice to be on this side of things.”

The transplant process started in mid-January when she went to Bristol Children’s Hospital for chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. After undergoing a radiotherapy session on Friday morning, Ellie had the transplant at around 5.30pm.

The procedure, which is similar to a blood transfusion, took approximately an hour and a half.

“I saw a man walking along the corridor with a red box and I thought ‘oh my god that’s it’,” said Miss Mortimer.

“I was so nervous I don’t think I sat down for the whole day but I was excited too.

“She came out of her last radiotherapy session skipping, I’m just so proud of her.”

Ellie will stay on the ward for at least two weeks to make sure her body is using the bone marrow as her own. Then, if her blood count is high enough, she will then move into Sam’s House – a CLIC Sargent Homes from Home for children undergoing bone marrow and stem cell transplants.

Miss Mortimer said: “Sam’s House is just up the hill from the hospital and we’ll be sharing a floor with two other families.

“Me and her dad Richard are going to take it in turns to stay with her there so that I can go home and see Oscar [Ellie’s three-year-old brother] because he can’t come on to the ward.

“It will be a bit more cosy and we won’t have nurses popping in every two minutes to check on her and she’ll go to the hospital at least every two days.”

Ellie’s family expect she will have to stay in Bristol for around three months while she recovers.