A COMMUNITY is coming together to help a three-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in her life.

Taya Phillips was first diagnosed with cancer when she was four-months-old and recovered after she had a tumour removed.

But at one of her regular scans in June doctors discovered she had another form of cancer and she is currently going through chemotherapy treatment.

Her dad, Terry, died aged 26 in November 2012 from oesophageal cancer.

Her mum, Laura, from Hinton said: “It was obviously not what I wanted to hear, especially for the second time.

“My girls carry a mutated gene that they inherited from their dad. He passed away when I was pregnant with Taya. You prepare yourself for things because you have to.”

But she said Taya and her other daughters – Katy, 12, Lacey, eight, Layla-Terri, four – have been amazing since their dad died and since the second diagnosis.

Lacey has just had her hair shaved off to raise more than £400 for Macmillan Cancer Support and to support Taya, who has started to lose her hair.

She said: “I did it because my little sister had no choice. I thought if I did then she wouldn’t feel left out.”

Laura, 28, said: “They are amazing girls – they really are. They have taken it all in their stride. You take a day at a time. That is all you can do. You have bad days and good days. They just get on with it.”

Taya was first diagnosed with a cancerous tumour of the adrenal gland and she is currently being treated for rhabdomyosarcoma.

She currently has to go to Birmingham Children’s Hospital weekly for treatment.

And to help the family through this difficult time the community has set up Taya’s Foundation on Facebook and are running fundraising events.

Half of the money they raise goes to the Ward 15 at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, while the other half goes to Laura to help her pay for travel costs and to support the family.

Laura said she has been amazed by the help of the community and she said it has raised awareness of childhood cancer.

There is a charity football match at Belmont Abbey on July 30, along with a raffle and auction.

On August 5 there is a 70s, 80s and 90s night at the Left Bank in Hereford at 7pm. To buy tickets (£5) go to The Broadleys in Ross Road, Hereford.

There are also raffle tickets available for a quiz night at The Broadleys on August 16 at 7pm. Raffle tickets also available at Body Mods in Eign Street, Hereford.

For more information go to the Facebook page, Taya’s Foundation.