TEENAGE cancer sufferer Abigail Taylor-Silk is now pinning her hopes on experimental therapy.

The brave 13-year-old from Wroughton has been battling Hodgkin's Disease for more than two years.

Last month the family, who live in St Andrew's Close, were devastated to learn that conventional chemotherapy had failed.

But mum Denise is up-beat that a new form of treatment will throw Abigail a lifeline.

Last Wednesday, the Year 10 Ridgeway School pupil travelled to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, to start the treatment.

"In two month's time the doctors should be able to tell us how successful it's been," said Mrs Taylor-Silk. "Things were looking really bleak a couple of weeks ago but it's beginning to pick up."

Last Monday, Abigail returned to school, which has made a huge difference to her mood, said her mum. "She needed to meet her friends again and try to get back to normality. She's taking everything in her stride."

Abigail's plight has touched scores of people in Wroughton.

After hearing of the family's torment, friends and family quickly formed the charity Smile in a bid to send Abigail to Florida so she can realise her dream of swimming with dolphins.

So far, more than £6,000 has been raised through a series of events, but the set-back means the trip has had to be postponed for the moment.