Lydia Harding and her family have returned from Mexico, optimistic a radical alternative cancer therapy has offered her new hope for the future.

Lydia, 16, of Barken Road, Chippenham, has four inoperable tumours in her lungs but she did not want to undergo more chemotherapy.

Her parents Sue and Howard, helped by hundreds of individuals and local groups, raised tens of thousands of pounds in less than a month after their plight was highlighted in the Gazette. The £42,000 raised funded the alternative treatment at the Oasis of Hope private clinic, in Mexico.

Lydia was first diagnosed with bone cancer two years ago and underwent chemotherapy, but secondary tumours later appeared in her lungs.

Now after three weeks therapy, costing £20,000, Lydia is back at home and Mr Harding is confident the treatment has been effective.

"The tumours have stopped growing," he said.

Yesterday she was due to have a scan at Bath's Royal United Hospital so medical staff could assess how the cancer is responding to the treatment.

But Lydia's treatment did not go entirely smoothly and she still faces a further three months treatment at home.

"The Oasis of Hope was wonderful we were near the beach and our room overlooked the sea," said Mr Harding. "The hospital had four full time missionaries and the doctors prayed over Lydia before they treated her."

Lydia had a catheter fitted into a main artery in her neck but a problem developed after 24 hours when it was discovered the catheter was too big and fluid had leaked into her right lung.

Her breathing became very slow and she suffered pains in her back, so she had to have a chest drain fitted.

Later she had an operation to fit a smaller catheter, and she was dosed with Laetrile, a vitamin B17 solution.

She had polyatomic treatment, with blood removed via a dialysis machine and filled with oxygen. She also had her blood sugar level decreased, to tackle the tumours.

Lydia and her parents had to stick to a rigid diet of wholesome vegetables as part of the detoxifying process. "It was lettuce, lettuce, lettuce and everything else green," said Mr Harding.

"But I think the diet has done us good too. Lydia is very glad to be home but she is still very sore and she hasn't yet completed the detoxification programme. She's still got a couple of stitches in her side."

Lydia's home treatment will require intravenous injections of B17 three times a week, doses of vitamins A and C, and thalidomide, which acts as a growth hormone repellent.

"The Mexican doctors are confident the tumours have stopped growing," said Mr Harding.

"We are feeling very optimistic. Lydia's been through quite a bit, but we saw miracles happening there. People experienced tumours breaking up and disappearing. The clinic has patients from all over the world."

The family also toured the city of Tijuana, they looked round Rosarita, where Titanic was filmed, and on the way home stopped off in the USA to visit the Sea World attraction in Florida.

Lydia, a pupil at Sheldon School, will have to take another three months off school to continue her treatment. "She's tired and sore but in very good spirits," said Mr Harding.

About £20,000 still remains in the trust, which Lydia and the trustees hope to use to help other youngsters in a similar plight.

The trust has helped two fellow patients at the Oasis of Hope Clinic, providing extra funding to help them complete their treatment.