Girl, 8, who planned her own funeral dies after cancer missed for 5 years

Darcy's mum noticed a lump on her spine - she was finally diagnosed with cancer in January. Photo / Facebook

An 8-year-old Scottish girl who had her cancer diagnosed too late has died after planning her own funeral.

Darcy McGuire's mother shared the devastating news on a Facebook page, Darc Rae's Dream, which is dedicated to her daughter's journey,

"It's with a hugely broken heart that I tell everyone Darcy Rae McGuire gained her angel wings this morning," Carol Donald wrote on December 15.

"Darcy was truly one in a million and a huge part of my heart will never heal. I'm so grateful to have had 8 amazing years with her, she has taught me so much in this last year and the strength she has maintained throughout is what will keep me strong.

The doctor who diagnosed her was shocked that the cancer hadn't been caught earlier. Photo / Facebook

"Fly high with the angels my precious dear Darcy."

The young girl fell ill at the age of 3, but doctors dismissed her suffering for growing pains.

However, in January they found out she had a rare terminal illness, spinal cancer.

From that moment on, Darcy helped her mother plan "every single part of her funeral".

Speaking previously to Metro UK, her mother said: "If this had been found earlier, I have no doubt Darcy could have stood a chance at beating this cruel disease."

She said she first noticed something was wrong when she discovered a lump on her daughter's spine.

But the pair were told by doctors there was nothing wrong, despite Darcy continually losing weight.

Early this year, Darcy started falling over on a daily basis — leading her to being diagnosed with a cancer that affects just one in 20 million children across the world every year.

Darcy's mum believes she could have been saved if her cancer had been diagnosed sooner. Photo / Facebook

Since she wasn't treated sooner, the cancer had spread to her ribs, lungs, skull, hand, arms and legs. She also had three large tumours on her spine and sacrum (a large bone at the base of the spine).

The doctor who diagnosed her was shocked that the cancer hadn't been caught earlier.

"I was so angry and frustrated because I always knew, as her mum, that something was being missed," Darcy's mother said.

"I've always been extremely honest with Darcy about her illness."

She said Darcy know that one day she would die.