A charity ball was held to raise funds so that Chloe Chaplin, 5, from The Chase, Wisbech, can enjoy a dream holiday with her family in Florida, USA.

Cambs Times: Leukaemia sufferer Chloe Chaplin (5) will be off to Disneyland in Florida once her treatment has finished. Picture: Ian BurtLeukaemia sufferer Chloe Chaplin (5) will be off to Disneyland in Florida once her treatment has finished. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant © 2014)

The ball was held at Marshland High School and raised more than £4,500 through raffles competitions and donations.

Cambs Times: Leukaemia sufferer Chloe Chaplin (5) will be off to Disneyland in Florida once her treatment has finished. Also pictured are her sister (Holly (11) and mum Michelle. Picture: Ian BurtLeukaemia sufferer Chloe Chaplin (5) will be off to Disneyland in Florida once her treatment has finished. Also pictured are her sister (Holly (11) and mum Michelle. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant © 2014)

Michelle Chaplin, 42, who is mum to Chloe and eldest daughter Holly, 11, said: “I can’t say thank you enough. I have been totally amazed at how people have donated their time and money – even people who we don’t know.

“The amount of support we have had from family and friends have been great too, they are like the scaffolding that keeps us up.”

Chloe, who goes to Peckover Primary School, Wisbech, first began to show symptoms last summer. She had extreme tiredness and virus-like symptoms with a high temperature, so Mrs Chaplin took Chloe to see her GP.

She said: “Holly was also with me and he took one look at Holly, then Chloe and then he realised how poorly Chloe looked.”

After a number of tests, Chloe was diagnosed with leukaemia at just four years old.

Mrs Chaplin, who is married to Simon, 41, recalled the day that will always stay with her: “I will never forget it – I am still haven’t got over it. We went into a room with a doctor and sister and I noticed that there were some tissues on a table. Then they told me.

“I felt sick, it was just awful. I remember Holly saying to me “at least she hasn’t got cancer mum” and then I had to explain to her in fact, her sister has it. It was so hard.”

Doctors started to give Chloe chemotherapy straightaway. She was also anaemic so her little body also had to have four blood transfusions.

Chloe was also readmitted to hospital over Christmas for intensive chemotherapy.

“She felt so rough,” said Mrs Chaplin. “She was very tearful and would want me to sleep in her bed with her.”

But despite her illness, Chloe continues to be as active as she can be.

Mrs Chaplin said that the doctors and nurses have cared for her daughter “so well” and that her family have got to know them well through the many visits to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.

She also paid tribute to Chloe’s big sister: “Holly has been fantastic. People forget that it also affects siblings too. Holly is the first person Chloe always asks for. She is doing the Race for Life with me next month.”

Holly is also a member of Fenland Flyers Trampoline Club in Wisbech, so John Fleet, who runs it, took it upon himself to organise a charity ball to raise money for Chloe.

He said: “The event was a huge success. We would like to thank all of the other businesses who got involved for their tremendous support and we hope they had lots of fun at Chloe’s Charity Ball.”

King’s Lynn Volkswagen donated £200 towards the costs of Chloe’s Dream Charity Ball and also provided a car for the weekend as a raffle prize.

The remaining funds will help to buy toys for the children’s ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, where Chloe goes for regular treatments.

Donations for Chloe’s Dream can be sent to chloesdreamuk@gmail.com via Paypal.