AN EIGHT-year-old cancer survivor has given a little helping hand to others battling the disease.

Isabella Gillies was accompanied by her sister Summer, aged six, to take on a hair-raising challenge earlier this month.

The girls each had inches of hair cut off to donate to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children with cancer.

Isabella was diagnosed with a plexiform hystiocystic tumour in April last year and had to undergo three operations.

The cancer is an intermediate malignant tumour situated in superficial soft tissues and affects children and young adults.

The youngster’s treatment included surgery on her hand.

At Christmas last year, Isabella was given the all-clear, but she wanted to help other young cancer survivors by donating her hair to make wigs.

Mum Anji said: “It was a massive relief - an early Christmas present.

“She was being treated in Oxford as that was the main centre in the UK for her type of cancer.

“Bella was learning all different things and they saw lots of kids that had lost their hair due to treatment and decided they would like to donate their hair to help make wigs for the children less fortunate.”

Isabella made the decision to cut off her hair even before she was given the all-clear, with sister Summer also deciding to take part and donate her long locks.

And on April 6 the sisters went to Colour and Cuts, in High Street, to take on the challenge.

“They were very excited, Summer was nervous but she still wanted to do it,” Anji added.

“I am just so proud, as soon as it was done they spoke about doing it again. They were so proud and the ladies in the hairdressers were all sat chatting with them — it was really lovely.”

This is not the first act of kindness the girls have carried out, in the past they have handed out letters to people in the town centre “just to make them smile”.