BETHANY Robinson has no doubts in her mind about why she has been singled out for praise by Swindon Mayor Stan Pajak.

Asked why she won the young person category of his Good Citizen Award, the Moredon three-year-old said: "Because I beat cancer".

For her mum, Tracy, who nominated Bethany for the accolade, there is a bit more to it than that.

Incredibly, the toddler also acts as the ears of her parents, both of whom are deaf.

Tracy says Bethany has faced a tough first three years of life, but has never stopped smiling and laughing.

When she was just 12 weeks old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Neuro-blastoma the same cancer that Swindon toddler Charlie Jarvis is currently fighting through an Evening Advertiser appeal for funds. Unlike Charlie, who needs £70,000 for lifesaving drug treatment, Bethany's illness was spotted early enough for the three-inch abdominal tumour to be operated on and removed.

She has since gone on to make a full recovery and her regular six-monthly checks continue to show no sign of the cancer returning.

But now Bethany, who will start at Moredon Infants School next year, has more than her fair share of responsibility.

It is hard to believe from seeing the energetic toddler darting around her garden and bouncing care-free on her trampoline, but she would set a fantastic example for many adults.

As well as being an am-bassador for the Cancer Research Campaign in Swin-don launching Children's Cancer Awareness month for the last two Decembers she also helps to act as the ears of her parents, who are both completely deaf after suffering measles in childhood.

Tracy can lip-read and speak well, but dad Steve became deaf earlier and appreciates Beth-any's efforts in learning sign language to communicate with him.

Tracy says she has always been extremely proud of her eldest daughter.

She said: "Despite her early illness, she has never com-plained.

"She jokes with the nurses at her six-monthly scans and is always happy, energetic and eager to learn and do new things. She made a remarkable recovery from her operation, did not need intensive care and was home three days later. Unfortunately, she developed a wound infection which dragged on and made her very ill. Despite all this, our brave little girl carried on fighting and smiling and keeping our spirits up."

Tracy is also proud of how Bethany looks after her younger sister, Aimee, who had her first birthday last month.

Bethany was chosen by the mayor for the first of six Good Citizen awards to be handed out during his mayoral year.

Last night she was presented with a glass dish and a cuddly brown bear. The whole council watched and applauded.

Mr Pajak said: "It's nice to give the award to someone so young. When we first launched the award, we envisaged it covering the whole range of youth, but what Bethany has been through at such an early age is remarkable."