The parents of a brave youngster who died of a rare form of cancer will bring some festive cheer to a local children’s hospital this Christmas.



Five-year-old Ella Stringer died in August after an eight-month battle with rhabdoid sarcoma – a cancer so rare her doctors had to use textbooks to treat it.



Since then Ella’s parents, Emily Stringer and Tony Waller, of Roundhill View, Rising Bridge, have donated more than £30,000 raised in their daughter’s name to cancer charities.



And Christmas came early for Ella’s old friends on Ward 84 at Manchester Children’s Hospital when the generous couple turned up laden with gifts.



Emily said: “Ella made a lot of friends on that ward and she would have loved the idea.



“I know that if she was still on the ward she would have loved to have a present to open. We want to give all the children something nice.



“There are 54 beds on the ward so we tried to get as many presents as possible.



“The doctors try and send the kids home over Christmas which is why we’re going down a few days early. Hopefully the majority of them will be at home for Christmas but for those who are there on Christmas Day we want them to have some nice gifts.”



Ella’s battle with cancer sparked a mass fundraising campaign from Valley residents who raised thousands of pounds for the Ella Stringer Fund through fun days and events.



The money was originally intended to fly Ella and her family to Florida for specialist treatment.



But last month the family donated £20,000 to Ella’s friend Emma Hoolin, four, for treatment of high risk neuroblastoma at a hospital in Philadelphia.



They also donated £5,000 to The Christie hospital in Manchester and £5,000 to cancer charity Click Sergeant.



Emily said: “I spoke to Emma’s mum last week. She has had her first two courses of treatment and is doing well which is great.”



This month children from Broadway School, where Ella was a pupil, planted a fruit orchard at Victoria Park, Haslingden, in memory of the tot.



They were joined by Rossendale Mayor Gladys Sandiford and members of the Friends of Victoria Park.



The pupils have also planted a pink cherry blossom tree on school grounds in remembrance of Ella.



Emily, Tony and their daughter Evie will spend Christmas at home in Rising Bridge.



Emily said: “We will be setting off some Chinese lanterns to remember Ella, which is what we did a couple days after her funeral.”



The family will continue to fundraise for the Ella Stringer Fund. All money raised will go to local cancer charities.