A RURAL school near Wellington held an afternoon of activities on the village green last week to celebrate the life of one of its pupils who has died after an eight-month battle with cancer.

Harper Pumfrey was given just weeks to live when she was diagnosed last August with a rare form of cancer but was able to double her lifespan with treatment paid for with a local fund-raising drive.

Harper lived in Sampford Moor and attended Sampford Arundel Primary School when her parents, Heidi and Lee Pumfrey, were told she was suffering childhood diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an inoperable and aggressive tumour which attacks the brain stem.

An online appeal by Harper’s aunty Fern Sibley with Alex Stanbury raised more than £43,000 which was initially used to pay for pioneering medical care in Spain and Germany because none was available in the UK.

Harper was nine years old when she was diagnosed and she marked her 10th birthday while in hospital in Spain.

She responded positively to treatment in Spain and then attended a clinic in Germany and was well enough to be able to return to her home, which Mr and Mrs Pumfrey adapted to give her the best possible quality of living.

Mrs Pumfrey said online to people who supported the family appeal: “We just want to thank you all so much for the donations we have received.

“It has been overwhelming to see the love and support showed by all of you.

“The money has gone towards the huge bills we have met along the way to give Harper the best chance she could get.

“This doubled her life expectancy given to us by the hospital and would not have been possible without this.”

Mrs Pumfrey said the fund-raising page would shortly be closed, and she would put any further donations toward the cost of Harper’s funeral.

She said the family were also planning to take Harper’s brothers and sister Logan, Reuben, and Keeley on ‘a well-deserved holiday’.

Ms Sibley said every extra day with Harper in the past few months had been a blessing.