While Shanice, who lives in Wisbech, underwent surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for the benign tumour, her family stayed at Acorn House and now they want to thank the 'home from home' for the support it gave them.

"They were really good," Shanice's mum Laura said. "It was like a hotel room. You can have your other children there if you want, you have your own bathroom. We took it in turns to stay there and it meant we could see Shanice every day.

"You don't realise these things exist unless you have a poorly child.

"If anyone is raising any money, please do it for Acorn House. It is all charity run and it is such a big support to families."

Laura said she had taken Shanice to the doctor a couple of times as she had been getting bad headaches and sickness, but had no luck with a diagnosis.

When Shanice's stepmother noticed she had developed a squint, Laura was prompted to take her daughter to Specsaver's in Wisbech where the rare tumour was discovered in January this year.

She later found out that Shanice's GP could not have picked up on the tumour and it was all thanks to the optician it was found.

Within days, Shanice had been admitted to Addenbrooke's and had her operation on January 14. She was in hospital for a month and her family were very grateful to Acorn House, run by the Sick Children's Trust, which meant they could be close by.

Laura also wants to make parents aware of the importance of taking their children to the opticians.

"As a parent, you're told about taking your child to the doctors but not to the opticians," she said. "I want other parents to know how important it is."

Acorn House costs £55,000 a year to run and is funded solely by donations. It can accommodate 15 families a night and is provided free of charge. It is also situated within the grounds of Addenbrooke's and is only minutes away from the wards.

For more information about fundraising for Acorn House, call the Sick Children's Trust on 0207-791-2266 or go to www.sickchildrenstrust.org