TODAY, Molly Crawford looks like any other happy, healthy five-year-old girl.

But her outward appearance hides the fact that, thanks to a two-year battle with cancer, her short life has already involved more pain, fear and discomfort than most people go through in a lifetime.

Now that Molly, who lives in Brogden Close, Botley, Oxford, with her parents Claire and Richard and older brother Jordan, is healthy, she wants to raise money for other sick children.

Just over two years ago, Molly was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and has had two years of chemotherapy and hospital treatment. But this month, her life will finally start back on the road to normality with not only her last dose of chemotherapy on April 20, but her first day at Botley Primary School on April 16.

To say thank-you to everyone who helped her, Molly and her parents are planning a fun day, on April 21 at Oxsrad in Marsh Lane, Marston, to raise money for Karman Ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Rays of Sunshine, which paid for the family to go to Lapland to visit Father Christmas, and Children with Leukaemia Research.

Her parents spoke about their roller-coaster battle with Molly's condition and hopes for the future.

Mrs Crawford said: "She can't wait to go to school and wear a school uniform.

"We went down to Marks & Spencer and got all her school uniform and she chose most of it, especially her lunchbox.

"She's really excited and she's got all her things ready. She just can't wait.

"She's back to how she was and things can finally start going back to normal."

The illness was discovered after Molly started at nursery in September 2004, but leukaemia wasn't diagnosed until the following February.

Mrs Crawford said: "I can't describe how I felt, I was totally shocked and devastated."

Now, after high-dose chemotherapy which caused Molly's hair to fall out, steroid treatment, blood transfusions and emergency operations, the little girl is fit and healthy.

Mrs Crawford said the family had hoped and prayed the day would come when her treatment finally finished and wanted to have a celebration.

"We thought if we were going to do a celebration, we'd like to raise money for the charities. The hospital staff are just fantastic and the doctors and nurses work so hard, so we wanted to help them, and with Rays of Sunshine, the minimum cost of a wish is about £1,500 and there are children who are far worse off than Molly.

"Leukaemia is one of the largest killers of children in the world, but it's also the most treatable form of childhood cancer."

She added: "She's so precious and brave and she just amazes me. It's such an achievement for her to have got through the last couple of years."

The Celia Benson School of Dance, where Molly takes tap and ballet classes, has donated £1,200 from a production of The Wizard of Oz, in which Molly was a munchkin, to the appeal.

Molly's Fun Day will start at 1pm and there will be a bouncy castle, face-painting, arts and crafts, pottery, a tombola, food, a display by the dance school at 1.45pm and an auction starting at 7pm.

Anyone who wants to help, by donating items to the auction or cash to the appeal, can call Mrs Crawford on 01865 203399.