A toddler who spent most of her young life in a body cast to correct her spine has died unexpectedly of leukaemia.

Grieving parents Douglas and Janice Hatchman had no idea their daughter, Zoe, had contracted a particularly aggressive and virulent strain of the disease as she displayed no symptoms.

Mr and Mrs Hatchman, of Woodingdean, Brighton, today paid tribute to their "happy" and "brave" daughter who loved life, despite suffering from scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, and cerebral palsy.

She died suddenly in her sleep just seven weeks after she was declared cured of scoliosis and finally freed from the upper body cast she had worn since the age of 18 months.

Mr Hatchman, 44, desperately tried to resuscitate Zoe after discovering her cold in bed in the room she shared with her seven-year-old brother, Lee, on March 26.

But she was later declared dead at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

The family is stunned after being told she died of leukaemia as she was happy and healthy when she went to bed.

It is believed she contracted a strain that can develop in a matter of days.

Mr Hatchman said: "She had learned to cope with the cast. It didn't make a difference to her and she never complained about it.

"Since it was taken off she did seem a lot happier and we loved the fact she had got rid of it. It was lovely to see her free."

Mr Hatchman, a freelance plumber, said: "It happened so quickly and we would like to know exactly what happened. Everyone deserves a good innings but she didn't even get to bat.

"I would rather be where she is, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. She will always be daddy's little girl."

The family home has been flooded with cards, flowers and messages of support.

Even the taxi driver who used to drive Zoe home from the Jeanne Saunders centre in Hove, which she attended, has been left deeply upset by the sudden death.

Her parents said Lee had only just started to realise his sister was gone.

Mr Hatchman said: "They were really close. She was a real character and I think Lee even misses her nicking his sweets.

"They used to fight about who would bring out all the stuff for me to make their sandwiches.

"The other day he got all the ingredients out and it just suddenly hit him he hadn't got his sister to fight with, there was nobody to oppose him."

Lee said: "We got on squiddly diddly well. I liked playing ball with her. She liked singing all the time, things like How Much Is That Doggy, and playing her Barbie piano."

Zoe's funeral will be held at the Downs Crematorium on Friday and attended by some of the many friends she made at the Jeanne Saunders centre and Oak Cottage school.

Mrs Hatchman, 45, said: "She loved school. She would stand there with her little lunch box and give a little wave, she couldn't wait to go in and play.

"She was brave but wouldn't see it like that. She was getting on so well. Jeanne Saunders was brilliant, the care they provided was really good.

"People were surprised she had cerebral palsy, she was such a happy babe and rarely cried."

Mr Hatchman discovered Zoe, who had her cast removed at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in London seven weeks ago, when he went to check on her in the early morning.

He said: "She was cold and not responsive. I rang 999 and took her into the other room and tried to resuscitate her. They took her to the Royal Sussex County Hospital and tried to revive her for 45 minutes but in my heart I knew she was already dead."

The hospital at first feared meningitis and the family was given antibiotics.

A post-mortem examination later revealed Zoe had died from leukaemia and cerebral palsy.

The Hatchmans would like family flowers only and have asked for donations to be sent to the Jeanne Saunders Centre, care of Colin Bennett Funeral Service, 44 Warren Road, Woodingdean BN2 6BA.