Ivy Hurle, a four-year-old girl from Gunnislake, was one of the stars of a Christmas film launched by Morrisons and its charity partner CLIC Sargent to raise awareness of how children with cancer are sometimes separated from their families during the festive period.

Eleven children affected by cancer share what they love about Christmas day, including presents, turkey dinner…. and spending time with their loved ones.

It carries the message that ‘children with cancer don’t always get to share Christmas with their families’.

This is because children may be treated far away from home and can’t return from the hospital where they are receiving treatment.

Families of children with cancer can see their costs rise by up to £600-a-month, according to CLIC Sargent research, and this includes the cost of travel.

CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading charity for young cancer patients and their families, aims to help them by providing Homes from Home, which offer free accommodation close to the hospital.

Ivy was diagnosed with wilms tumour, a type of kidney cancer, when she was two. Her treatment included 18 months of chemotherapy, ten sessions of radiotherapy to her lungs, and two surgeries together with countless blood transfusions and platelet transfusions.

She finished treatment in July and is doing well, with recent scans showing that her condition is stable.

Ivy’s mother Bex said they were delighted to take part in the film to promote CLIC Sargent and make other parents in their situation aware of the support it offers.

“CLIC Sargent is truly a wonderful charity who supported us so much,” said Bex. “Our CLIC Sargent social worker was invaluable, as was the financial support and help to claim benefits.

“When Ivy was receiving treatment at Bristol Children’s Hospital we were able to stay at the CLIC Sargent Home from Home. We couldn’t have got by without that.”

Andy Atkinson, group customer and marketing director at Morrisons, said: “Keeping families together at Christmas when a child is unwell with cancer is such important work. We wanted to explain that in this film, featuring children helped by CLIC Sargent.”

Morrisons’ partnership with CLIC Sargent has a target of £10-million to help the charity be there for more young lives struck by cancer, and help limit the damage cancer causes beyond their health.

To support the work of CLIC Sargent and donate visit www.clicsargent.org.uk/morrisonsdonate