DOCTORS have broken the news to Charlotte Wakeham's family that she may have just two or three months to live.

Eight-year-old Charlotte was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour last year, but her family refused to give up hope and after searching the internet, discovered a wonder drug that could help.

At first, Charlotte's body responded well to the drug, Chloripramine, and the tumour showed signs of shrinking, but in the past few weeks her condition has deteriorated rapidly.

Charlotte's grandmother, Wendy Bryant, said the family is not giving up hope, and she is still searching for new drugs on trial which Charlotte could take.

She said: "We're currently sticking with Chloripramine, and the doctors have upped the dose, but they think there's something in her blood that stops the drug working. It's a shot in the dark really but it's worth a try."

Charlotte was too ill to join her classmates for the last week of term at Paxcroft School in Trowbridge.

She now has to spend much of her time in a wheelchair, and has problems using her right arm.

Her grandmother said: "It is so hard to see my son and daughter-in-law up against it, and the worst thing is not being able to do anything about it."

Doctors at the Royal United Hospital in Bath broke the news to Charlotte's family last week that these could be their last months with her.

After Charlotte was diagnosed, Ms Bryant set up the Charlotte's Chance of Life Fund to raise money to pay for her treatment and to help fund research into lifesaving drugs like Chlori-pramine.

She has been invited to speak at a press conference on Tuesday at the University of Portsmouth to mark the launch of clinical trials of Chloripramine on brain tumours like Charlotte's.