THE grandmother of Charlotte Wakeham, the seven-year-old schoolgirl who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour earlier this year, has spoken of the day she had to tell her son his daughter was terminally ill.

Wendy Bryant, who lives in Victoria Road, Devizes, has been spearheading a campaign to raise money to send Charlotte on a last holiday to Disneyworld. But Charlotte's Chance of Life Fund is doing so well Mrs Bryant wants to keep it going to fund research into brain stem cancer.

Charlotte was born at Trowbridge Hospital on December 9 1994, and immediately had to be revived after apparently swallowing excrement in the womb. She was rushed to the Royal United Hospital, Bath, and had to stay in the specialist baby unit for five days.

Charlotte grew up a bright intelligent little girl and she attended Paxcroft Primary School in Trowbridge, but in May this year, the family began to see changes in her.

Mrs Bryant said: "The school noticed that her work had been deteriorating and her handwriting, which was normally so beautiful and tidy, was almost illegible."

An appointment was made with a specialist at the Royal United Hospital on May 29 and Mrs Bryant went with Charlotte and her mother, Alison. Mrs Bryant said: "They gave her a scan and we had the results in about two and a half hours. The doctor just kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry'. We just couldn't understand that Charlotte was going to die.

"One of the worst things a mother has to do is to tell her son he has a terminal child. I had to think about it for an hour before I could bring myself to tell Bill. I waited until Alison was with us, because I don't think it had sunk in with her either."

Charlotte was immediately referred to Bristol Children's Hospital, though she had to go on a waiting list for treatment. Mrs Bryant said: "There is never enough staff or equipment but they got to her as quickly as they could."

She began radiotherapy two weeks ago and Mrs Bryant and her family have not been idle.

Mrs Bryant surfed the Internet looking for websites about brain tumours in children and came across one about the Samantha Dickson Research Fund. Samantha was a Hampshire teenager who died shortly after her 17th birthday of brain tumour similar to Charlotte's.

Her family had put all their energy into setting up a fund to support research into childhood brain cancer and one of the beneficiaries was a field study into the effects of the anti-depressant, Chlorimipramine, which is thought to have properties for fighting cancer cells in the brain and stimulating the regeneration of brain cells.

Mrs Bryant corresponded with eminent cancer expert, Prof Geoffrey Pilkington about the possibilities of treating Charlotte with the drug and asked doctors at Bristol to administer it to Charlotte.

Charlotte received the first dose of the drug on Monday.

Mrs Bryant said: "They start off with a dosage of five milligrammes and build up five milligrammes at a time until they reach the full dose of 70 milligrammes."

The family will now have to wait until the drug takes effect before they know whether it has prolonged Charlotte's life.

The tumour has already affected her sight and her mobility and she has been confined to a wheelchair for some weeks.

But the community has already rallied to help Charlotte and her family.

Charlotte's Chance of Life Fund has raised more than £6,000 with more money coming in all the time.

Last month, a charity for terminally ill children, Donna's Dream House paid for Charlotte and her family to go on holiday to Blackpool.

Chirton Toddlers Group has donated £50 that was originally going to be spent on a trip to the Boomerang Soft Play Centre in Melksham.

This weekend there are six events in aid of Charlotte's Fund. Teenage songstress Victoria Morris and friends are giving a concert at the Wyvern Club, Devizes, at 7.30pm for 8pm, tickets are available from Devizes Books.

Aldbourne Football Club are hosting a pre-season friendly against Trowbridge Town FC with all proceeds going to the fund.

Two female members of staff at Sizzlers fish and chip shop in Waterworks Road, Trowbridge, Denise Jones and Liz Chapman, are having their heads shaved.

Swindon woman Becky Roberts is also doing a bungee jump at the Spotted Cow in Swindon.

Two members of Marlborough Youth Centre are doing a sponsored bounce on a bouncy castle from 10am to 10pm and invite others to join them in raising money for Charlotte.And a jumble sale will be held at Trowbridge Civic Hall on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Mrs Bryant has invited local shops, pubs and clubs to sell tickets for a raffle to be drawn on September 27. She can be contacted on (01380) 727130.