The family of a baby girl diagnosed with leukaemia just before Christmas spoke today of their heartache as she fights for life.

Doctors say 11-month-old Megan Parker, who is being treated with chemotherapy at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London, has a 60 per cent chance of recovery.

Her parents James and Natalie, who run the Red Lion pub in Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham, have spent the festive season by her bedside.

Megan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, which attacks bone marrow or the spinal cord.

Regulars at the Red Lion were so upset when they heard about Megan that they vowed to help.

They have organised a series of fund-raising drives for Megan and the hospital.

Customers raised more than £2,500 during a raffle on Christmas Eve and hope to raise even more during another raffle on New Year's Eve.

She was sent home from her playgroup after she became lethargic and developed diarrhoea and a bad chest.

James, 36, and Natalie, 34, took Megan to her GP who sent her to Worthing Hospital. A blood test revealed delivered the heartbreaking truth.

Natalie said: "It was the biggest shock of our life. I think at the time you just think leukaemia means death and that is the first thing that goes through your mind.

"Once you are up here at Great Ormond Street you meet other families who are going through the same thing and it is comforting.

"You learn to deal with it day by day and it becomes a part of your routine in which you make sure that every day you say to yourself 'she will get through this, she will'.

"They have told us there is a very good chance she will pull through because they can deal with infant leukaemia very well these days.

"We could be here for up to eight months, maybe longer. Megan is undergoing a ten-day chemotherapy programme at the moment, so we are really waiting to find out how successful that will be."

Natalie said Megan was very ill but was so far responding well to the treatment.

She said: "It was her first Christmas and this is the last thing we expected to happen.

"She was a healthy baby and really bright and bubbly. She has never had so much as a plaster on her, let alone any illness, until now."