New year looks up for family

Philly Angus and 9-year-old daughter Stella. Photo / Ben Fraser

2015 hasn't been Philly Angus' favourite year - but she has hopes the next one will be better.

It's been a year dominated by treatment and helping 9-year-old daughter Stella get back to health after she was diagnosed with cancer in mid-December 2014.

"It hasn't been my favourite year. It's definitely drawn on every single bit of inner strength we have had. The most amazing thing is Stella has been the most strong, courageous girl through the whole process."

Mrs Angus has her fingers crossed that 2016 is a better one for the family. Starting with making the most of being able to do the things summer is made for - camping, spending time at the lakes and being together as a family.

"We are just looking forward to having a summer. Last year we were really robbed of that, she was very, very sick."

The family can't turn their back on the cancer just yet - Stella will be doing the maintenance phase of treatment until at least February 2017 - but hopefully things are looking brighter.

"We just have to keep on taking each day as it comes."

Stella has oral chemotherapy treatment daily, treatment at Rotorua Hospital monthly and travels to Starship Hospital every three months, but even with that schedule the family's lives are much less dominated by hospitals.

"Life is a lot more normal than it was for the first nine months [after diagnosis]."

Stella returned to Lynmore School just before the end of term three last year.

"She got to go to camp, got to be a normal 8, nearly 9-year-old. It was great having that normality of standard school stuff."

Mrs Angus said while she was more aware of crowds and the impact of germs on Stella, she tried to keep life as normal as possible.

"Going to camp was a huge thing, a normal thing that a kid would be doing."

Stella's ninth birthday on December 23 was also a big celebration given she spent her last birthday in hospital.

Mrs Angus said it was great to have Stella back at school.

"She has held her own over the year which we were really pleased with given she has been seriously ill.

"She's looking forward to being Year 5 next year and a big senior girl."

There's one other big change she's looking forward to; her love of horses is set to see her get a pony of her own.