After two years of receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Isla Hallam is finally able to experience a sense of normality, including starting ballet class with her friends.

Isla, now three-years-old, was diagnosed with ALL two days before Christmas in 2010. Since then, she has needed 21 lumbar punctures, 16 blood transfusions and had 17 hospital admissions.

Isla still has five months left of her chemotherapy regime, which Director of the RCH Children’s Cancer Centre, Dr Francoise Mechinaud, said was vital protection to ensure the cancer did not return.

Isla’s mum Anne Hallam said that chemotherapy made Isla’s bones sore and muscles weak and she was finding it hard to walk, but now she is doing well. “Ballet has been great from a physio point of view, because now she can even walk on her tippy toes the whole length of the church hall,” said Anne.

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