‘We had been messing around in Mallorca but a few days later we got the worst possible news’

While relaxing on vacation with his young daughter, Paul Tierney could never have imagined the nightmare that would unfold.

The father-of-two had taken his children to Mallorca for a week-long family holiday last October. But within days of returning home, Paul received the news that every parent fears.

After his seven-year-old daughter Lottie suddenly became ill, she was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered she had a brain tumor. After further tests, Lottie was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the bones and tissue surrounding the bones.

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“There were no symptoms,” said Paul, from Middleton. “We were just in Mallorca messing around in a hot tub and a few days later someone tells you she has cancer. It literally came out of nowhere.”

Paul, Lottie and her older brother Jake flew back to Manchester on October 31 last year. Two days later, Paul was at work when he received a concerned WhatsApp message from Lottie’s mother, Claire.

It included a video showing Lottie in pain and struggling to put weight on her left foot. Paul said he initially thought she might have suffered a pinched nerve.

But after Lottie was taken to the emergency department at Royal Oldham Hospital, doctors discovered a brain tumor. That afternoon she was transferred to Manchester Royal Infirmary and underwent further scans, which revealed she had a large tumour.

“You won’t believe what they say to you,” Paul said. ‘It’s as if you’re not there.

‘I don’t think anything can prepare you for that. It’s something you read about, but it never happens to you.’

Within days, Lottie underwent a seven-hour operation to have the tumor removed. The operation was initially considered a success, but a biopsy later revealed that the tumor found was malignant.

“It was like being hit with another sledgehammer,” Paul said. “We hoped it was a benign tumor, but it wasn’t.”

Despite continuing to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Lottie – now eight years old – has refused to let the grueling treatment affect her mood and is smiling ‘constantly’.

“She still has a lot of personality,” Paul said. “She’s incredible. She never complains. She’s fine on her own and that makes it even harder to bear.”

While in hospital, Lottie – a pupil at Crompton Primary School in Shaw, Oldham – has become known among nurses for her love of Rudy’s Pizza.

“It kept her going,” Paul said. “When she was being treated at The Christie we were there once a week.

“People have bought Rudy’s vouchers for us. They have been so kind. We know times are tough, but people have been incredibly generous.”

Following her cancer diagnosis, selfless Lottie has managed to raise over £2,000 for the Little Princess Trust, which provides human hair wigs to children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment.

Paul, meanwhile, has set up a JustGiving page to raise money for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Ward 86, where Lottie was treated.

To support the fundraising, Paul and a large group of friends will take part in a cycle ride from Manchester to Blackpool and back in July.

He has also raised around £3,500 by raffling a Manchester City shirt signed by Kevin De Bruyne. Lottie, a Blue like her father, was delighted when she received a card from City boss Pep Guardiola and signed shirts from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish.

Meanwhile, Lottie and Paul were also invited to attend City’s Premier League match against Burnley at the Etihad Stadium in January.

You can donate to the fundraiser here.