Schoolgirl Lily Douglas stole the show at Perth’s Christmas lights extravaganza with some incredible news about her three-year cancer battle.
The 12-year-old got one of the biggest cheers of the night when it was revealed on stage that she was now stable.
Video highlights of the event is above this article.
Champion dancer Lily, who has been fighting an aggressive form of bone cancer, was invited to take a starring role in Perth’s glitzy switch-on ceremony after a public appeal by family friend Pete Chan.
She took part in the traditional Christmas parade through the city centre – alongside music acts Atomic Kitten and Nina Nesbitt – before joining Provost Dennis Melloy and Catchphrase host Stephen Mulhern on the main stage.
Mr Melloy who declared Perth “the capital of Chistmas” announced: “I’ve got a very special young lady here. Lily has been suffering cancer for a while now, but look at her – she’s smiles all over.
“What we found out yesterday was a wonderful piece of news that she is actually stable now.”
The St John’s Academy pupil helped the provost turn on the city’s festive display, triggering a spectacular fireworks show.
Tens of thousands of people poured into the city centre to watch this year’s celebration.
Perth and Kinross Council organised three music stages with more than 40 acts including Dario G, Basil Brush, X Factor star Chico and compere Lionel Vinyl.
Streets around the city centre were filled with market stalls, entertainers and fun fair rides.
Based on previous years’ figures, it costs about £220,000 to stage the switch-on ceremony, which in turn generates a boost of around £2m for the local economy.
Lily’s mum Jane said the family was “so pleased and so blessed” to be involved in the ceremony.
Lily was diagnosed with stage four Ewing’s Sarcoma when she was just nine. After months of treatment, including proton beam therapy in the US, Lily was declared cancer free in September.
Just days later, the family shared the devastating news that the cancer had returned, more aggressive than ever and spreading to both lungs. Lily has always refused to let the illness slow her down and has kept dancing throughout her treatment.
Jane confirmed that her scans were now stable. “This means the chemo she was on is allowed to continue, and she will be relatively well over Christmas.
“If she was on a high dose she would have meant we would be in hospital all over Christmas and beyond.”
