When 14-year-old Courtney Walsh was diagnosed with leukaemia she burst into tears and said: “Oh my God, am I going to die?”

On receiving the devastating news her mum, Claire Hill, fell apart.

The teenager, of Coalfell Avenue, Carlisle, has now won a Star Award for her bravery.

Claire, 31, said: “As soon as they said that word (leukaemia) the room just spun. It was absolutely heart breaking. I felt people were staring at me and I thought ‘why can’t I cry?’ but I was in too much shock.

“Later I phoned my mum and that’s when I burst into tears. My mum came down to the hospital and then sat down with me a doctor and nurse and we told Courtney. She looked at me crying and said: “Oh my God, am I going to die?” and I fell apart.”

Her story has been highlighted as the charity Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens launches its annual Star Awards, in partnership with TK Maxx, across Cumbria.

Courtney, who attends Richard Rose Morton Academy, was diagnosed with leukaemia after developing pains in her legs.

At first the family put this down to growing pains and the fact Courtney was born with talipes feet – where her feet turn inwards – which means she struggles walking long distances.

But then Courtney’s knees kept locking and she went over badly on her ankle.

Claire, who works at Lappets manufacturing in Carlisle, said: “We went back and forth to the doctors for a bit but then her symptoms escalated. Courtney was falling asleep when she got home from school and starting to lose weight and lose her appetite. The doctor thought it might be anaemia so we went to Cumberland Infirmary for a blood test and found she had leukaemia.”

It took about a week of further tests for doctors to identify what type of leukaemia that Courtney had. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

ALL is a cancer of the white blood cells, which help the body fight infection. It is the most common type of leukaemia in children with around 380 cases diagnosed each year in Britain. Thanks to major advances in treatment, around 80 per cent of children with ALL are now cured compared to around 10 per cent in the 1960s.

About 160 children in the north west region are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Fortunately, according to Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens, the rate of children dying from cancer has dropped by almost a quarter (24 per cent) in the UK in the last decade.

Claire, 31, said: “During Courtney’s treatment it was me getting upset, not her. She took everything on the chin. She really did just battle on with a smile. She thought of everyone else rather than herself and she’s also got a great sense of humour and a fantastic group of friends who stuck by her which helped a lot.”

After her diagnosis in May 2014, Courtney was treated with intense chemotherapy and steroid injections for seven months at Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and missed almost a year of school.

Courtney is now on the maintenance phase of her treatment which involves taking oral chemotherapy at home for the next two and a half years. She is back at school where she is in Year 9.

Courtney, who is a fan of Batman and comics, said her mum, friends and her dog Marley all helped her during her treatment.

She said: “I think what got me through it was my mum and knowing I’d be able to go back to school and see my friends eventually.

“Sometimes I’d be in hospital for weeks at a time. It was hard being away but my friends came round and visited and brought me presents. They’d even organise sleepovers when I got back.

"My uncle Jay used to send me videos of Marley playing. It made me sad that I was not with him but happy that he was enjoying himself and not missing me too much!

“It didn’t really bother me losing my hair when it actually happened. It bothered me knowing it was going to go but once it wasn’t there it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be.

“I’ve also got beads of courage – I added a new bead for each treatment. I have a big bag of memories. I’ve added my Star Award and one day I’ll be able to look back through it all to remind me what I went through.”

Courtney received a star trophy, £50 TK Maxx gift card – which she spent on pyjamas, make up and socks – and a certificate signed by a host of celebrities after being nominated for the award.

Claire, who nominated Courtney for the Star Award, said: “Courtney was really chuffed with her Star Award and she deserves it so much. Something small to recognise what she has been through really does just make a difference.”

Unlike many other children’s awards, there is no judging panel because Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens and TK Maxx – the UK’s biggest corporate supporter of children’s cancer research – believe that each and every child who faces cancer is extra special.

England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney – who is backing the campaign to award children of courage – said: “As a father I find it almost impossible to imagine the impact of being told your child has cancer.

“Over the years I’ve met many youngsters being treated for this horrible disease and every time their courage, positivity and determination touch my heart. To me every one of them is a hero in the true sense of the word.”