MAIZIE Rose spent more than a year at Oxford Children’s Hospital fighting off cancer.

Now the four-year-old has been in remission for 15 months her dad Phil has urged others to join him and sign up for the Oxford Mail’s OX5 Run for the hospital.

In May 2013 Maizie was taken to hospital and diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that affects cells in the chest and stomach.

She has now started school and is doing well, but the family return to the hospital every four months for checks and will do so for at least the next two years.

Mr Rose said: “She’s doing really well and her cancer has been in remission for more than year.

“She started school in September and is loving it.”

But he added: “There is still a high risk of it coming back within five years of diagnosis.”

Mr Rose, 38, who married Maizie’s mother Emily Rose on Friday at Trinity Church in Abingdon, wants to assemble a 40-strong team to tackle the five-mile hospital fundraiser at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, on Sunday, April 17.

The school minibus driver from Abingdon said: “We are hoping to get around 40 runners this year in the team – we are getting family and friends to join us.”

“Even if people haven’t used the children’s hospital themselves, everyone in the county knows someone who has.

“Think of every time you have been to the hospital for an X-ray and had a book to read or a toy to play with – this is what the money is for, the things that are taken for granted.”

The Roses spent lengthy periods at a time on Kamran’s Ward – for children with cancer – when Maizie was first diagnosed.

Mr Rose said the care both they and Maizie received was amazing. He added: “For us as parents and for Maizie the care was fantastic.

“They always know if you are not quite right and will tell you to get some fresh air and talk you through things – they are just amazing.

“While Maizie was on Kamran’s Ward there was always a bed available for us next to her.”

He added: “It was a great help for us and for Maizie as she was in bed there for five and a half weeks and what she had to go through was awful.”

The OX5 Run is being sponsored by recruitment firm Allen Associates for the eighth year.

This year’s event raised £106,000 for the hospital and the run, now in its 14th year, has raised more than £850,000 in total.

The money is used to fund medical equipment and other aspects of children’s care, such as play specialists, nurses and toys and games.

You can sign up online for next year’s run by going to hospitalcharity.co.uk/ ox5run.

It costs £15 to enter – with proceeds going to the charity – and it is suggested each team member aims to raise at least £100.