THE family of Ruby Owen face an anxious wait to find out whether treatment which could save the three-year-old's life has been successful.

Ruby and her parents Martin and Rachel have returned from the United States after she received pioneering cancer therapy to give her the best chance of fighting her brain tumour.

While in America, Ruby, from Kidsgrove, underwent two weeks of pre-treatment, followed by 33 courses of proton therapy spread over a seven-week period.

Yesterday, Ruby's dad Martin said her current condition was "fantastic".

However, it could be up to two years before the family know whether Ruby will make a full recovery.

Martin, aged 38, said: "Ruby is doing fantastic at the moment. She is walking again and some of her hair has started to grow back. We saw the doctors in Liverpool earlier in the week and they said we could start to wean her off the anti-sickness drugs, which is good news. She's up and about and shouting and screaming like any other three-year-old at the minute.

"We won't know for about two years whether or not the cancer will come back or not. She has her next scan in October, when we should know a little more about how the treatment has gone, so we just have to wait and see now.

"We've been told if the cancer returns, then it will most likely happen in the first two years. If the cancer stays away for two years, she will be in remission and if it stays away after five years, she will be cured. It might be down to luck if she comes through this."

The therapy Ruby received at the hospital in Indiana is designed to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

To get her there, Ruby's family faced the task of raising £250,000.

Family, friends and well-wishers got together over six months to help raise £167,000 and in April, the family was told that a £90,000 discount for early payment meant there was enough money for Ruby to go.

Martin added: "The treatment was similar to radiotherapy. A radiation beam was used on the infected part of Ruby's brain but the difference was that the beam stopped just past the tumour, whereas in this country, it would go straight through the head and result in massive brain damage.

"The doctors in America told us she might lose five to 10 IQ points during the treatment they do – but we will deal with that when she's older if this saves her life.

"The support from the people of Stoke-on-Trent for Ruby has been unbelievable and we can't thank people enough. We've been overwhelmed by the whole thing."

Fund-raiser Michelle Mason, of Lodge Road, Penkhull, has been keeping supporters up to date with Ruby's progress via the Facebook website.

The 35-year-old full-time mum-of-three said: "We're all just crossing our fingers now and praying that the results of the scan next month come back positive.

"The family have told me she is doing really well but they are understandably still a bit anxious."

Much of the fund-raising for Ruby was organised through Caudwell Children.

The charity will continue to manage donations to the Ruby Owen Appeal and will work with the family to distribute any remaining funds to other children fighting cancer.