THE word brave can be all too easy to use when describing a child who has been ill.

But in 12-year-old Ella Kilty’s case, it doesn’t begin to describe what she has been through. Ella has shown remarkable courage in the face of a cancer that so nearly claimed her life.

At just four years old, Ella went for a routine eye test and was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eye.

Further tests showed she had a large tumour which could have severed her optic nerve, and her life was in danger.

So at the age of five, Ella’s left eye was removed.

It is difficult to imagine what that meant to a little girl and what she was going through, and it is quite right that her courage and inspiration have meant that she will perform with pop stars at the Royal Albert Hall tomorrow as part of the Rays Of Sunshine Choir.

The choir is made up of 25 children living with serious or life-limiting illnesses who have all had their wishes granted by the Rays Of Sunshine charity, and Ella deserves her place.

While perhaps the worst of her ordeal is over, and she has been clear of cancer for seven years, Ella must still travel to London for regular check-ups.

And she has got used to wearing a glass eye, despite initial fears and concerns that are only natural for a child, considering all she had gone through.

But it seems she can approach her teenage years with confidence and optimism.

And in the short term, Ella, overcome any nerves you may have about tomorrow and sing your heart out.