NO one is sure how long Charlie Jarvis has left to live.

The four-year-old from Coln Crescent, Greenmeadow, has a rare form of childhood cancer, and has endured surgery and toxic chemotherapy since being diagnosed a year ago.

But, in spite of an apparent recovery, recent scans have confirmed that the cancer has returned. Doctors have told her family that no more can be done to save her and to "have the courage to do no more".

In spite of her condition, Charlie still has the strength to smile and her devoted parents Samantha and Paul Jarvis are determined to fight for her survival.

The family has pinned its hopes on a £50,000 pioneering drug treatment being trialed in Houston, Texas, which could prolong her life.

And they are turning to the people of Swindon to help raise the money they desperately need.

Samantha, a 31-year-old accountant, said: "I just want my baby back. My life means nothing without my children. Charlie is so precious to us all, we will do everything we can to spend more time with her."

To her parents and seven-year-old sister Robyn, every day is precious and while there is no guarantee that the treatment in Houston will work, they know she deserves a chance.

Paul, 38, a printer, said: "She is just like any other kid her age. She is full of life, cheeky and stubborn.

"She is also the bravest little girl. She has taken all this in her stride.

"The reason we are pushing so hard for this treatment is because she deserves a chance.

"Whatever happens, we want to know that we did absolutely everything we could to fight for our daughter."

The first clue that something was wrong was when Charlie could not raise her left arm over her head.

Initially the cause was thought to be paediatric arthritis, but a scan identified that Charlie had neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer.

She had a tumour near her kidney and another in her skull.

To attack the cancer, Charlie was treated using chemotherapy and surgeons attempted to remove the tumours.

She then went to Liverpool's Alder Hey Hos-pital, where she was treated using stem cell therapy to encourage her body to recover from the harmful effects of the drugs.

Things took a turn for the worse and Charlie had to be looked after in intensive care for five weeks.

Charlie astonished her doctors by pulling through and was able to return home, having to learn how to talk, eat and walk again.

But subsequent scans four weeks ago confirmed her parents' worst fears that the disease is still there.

Determined not to give in, Paul spent hours calling cancer experts both in England and in the United States to search for anything which could help his daughter recover.

And during his search he heard about drug trials at the Bruzinski Clinic in Houston, Texas, where patients are treated with the drug antineoplaston, which identifies cancerous cells, allowing the body's immune system to combat them.

The treatment will cost the family £50,000 and the family has already raised £2,500.

Paul said: "Nobody knows the outcome of this journey to America and these trials, but we cannot sit by and watch the most precious thing in our world be taken away from us without fighting with everything we've got.

"Please help us in trying to save our Charlie's life. If you met her you would understand.

"She is the most loving and courageous child you are ever likely to meet."

Staff at the Haydon Wick branch of Safeway Supermarkets have thrown themselves behind the campaign. They will be holding a money raising summer fare on Sunday from 12-4pm featuring a barbecue, bouncy castle and a visit from the fire brigade.