'We buried her with her teddy, sticker book and comfort blanket': Parents' heartbreak as their daughter's 'winter virus' turns out to be rare and aggressive cancer Lizzy Bremer, 2, from London, died six months ago from neuroblastoma Was diagnosed after her parents found a lump on her abdomen and temple The cancer was aggressive and had already spread around her body Had 10 rounds of chemotherapy but continued to deteriorate She died two days after her second birthday when her liver haemorrhaged Her parents are now fundraising to raise awareness of the condition The parents of a two-year-old girl who died from a rare and aggressive cancer have spoken of how their lives have been devastated. Miriam and Alex Bremer's daughter Lizzy passed away six months ago from neuroblastoma. When she first fell ill, they thought she was suffering from a winter virus. But within weeks, Lizzy was battling for her life, being pumped full of chemotherapy drugs. Tragic: Lizzy Bremer with her mother, Miriam. The toddler passed away six months ago after developing neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive cancer Best of friends: Lizzy with her brother, George. When she first fell ill, their parents thought she was suffering from a winter virus. But within weeks, Lizzy was battling for her life While she initially improved with treatment, she then deteriorated, leaving her parents and older brother George,5, with a huge hole in their lives. She died at home two days after her second birthday. Her mother Miriam, 39, told MailOnline: 'Lizzy was the apple of my eye. She loved singing The Wheels on the Bus, had started talking and went everywhere with her favourite toy, a teddy called Bolognaise. 'It's been six months since she died and I miss her every day. There are photos of her all around the house and we've left her bedroom untouched.' Although Lizzy was healthy when she was born, Miriam, a pilates instructor, says she was often 'under the weather'. Unlike George, who is very robust, Lizzy always had a cold or sniffles. But some babies are like that and doctors assumed there was nothing wrong. Tender: George with Lizzy at her grave. 'We buried her with her teddy, photos and cards, her sticker book and her comfort blanket,' says Miriam. We also made a memorial in our garden Bond: Miriam says Lizzy's health had always been poorer than George's - and she frequently suffered from colds Close: Lizzy with her father, Alex. He and Miriam rushed Lizzy to A&E after discovering a lump in her abdomen Then, in January last year, Lizzy developed a bloated stomach and a swollen eye. Doctors diagnosed a chest infection caused by a winter virus. 'But when she developed a hard, plum-sized swelling on her head, we rushed her to A&E,' says Miriam, whose husband Alex, 48, is a director for a digital media agency. Neuroblastoma is a rare childhood cancer which develops from nerve cells called neuroblasts. It usually starts in the child's abdomen, often developing in the adrenal glands above the kidneys. It can then spread to other areas such as the bone, liver and bone marrow. The cancer affects about 100 children in the UK each year and is usually diagnosed in under-5s. It is the most common form of solid tumour cancer in childhood after brain tumours. The symptoms depend on where the cancer is and whether it has spread. Initial symptoms often include aches and pains and loss of appetite. The most common symptom when the cancer has developed is a lump or swelling in the child's abdomen. Other possible symptoms are a lump in the child's neck, bone pain, weakness in the child's lower body, anaemia and bluish lumps in the skin. Because the early symptoms are vague, the cancer is often not diagnosed until it has spread around the body. The outlook is better if the child is younger and the cancer is slower growing. It is common for the cancer to return after treatment and treatment tends to be less successful in older children. Just hours later, doctors at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital found a 10cm tumour in Lizzy's abdomen. They then revealed devastating news - Lizzy didn't have a virus, she had neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that affects just 90 children in the UK each year. It was stage four and had spread around her body. 'That was just the most indescribable shock,' says Miriam. Alex left the room to be sick with shock and I was in tears, my legs like jelly. I couldn't believe my little girl might possibly die. Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital explained that the tumour was so aggressive it had probably grown in a matter of weeks. Lizzy had stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma, which affects around 25 per cent of the children a year who get this disease. 'She was, staggeringly, one of only 15 children in the UK being treated at this level,' says Miriam. 'Sadly, current treatments can be ineffective if a child's tumours have an amplification of the MYC-N gene. This is what caused Lizzy's cancer to take over her body and run out of control.' While doctors didn't give the couple a prognosis, they explained the survival rate was now 50 per cent, thanks drug advances in the last two years. 'I felt a mixture of desperation and desperate hope,' says Miriam. Terrified of turning to Google for advice, for fear of what she might find - I thought it would be a minefield of horror' - she used resources from Macmillan Cancer Support. The information I found there was accurate and helpful - and made me feel less alone. Sometimes you can feel very alone, despite support from friends and family, and I had to stay strong for Lizzy, too. Lizzy had ten rounds of chemotherapy (which lasted up to three days at a time) and had a feeding tube in her nose. 'She lost her blonde, curly hair and the ability to talk,' recalls Miriam. It was heartbreaking. 'Even though she didn't understand what was happening, she remained upbeat, reading her books and playing with building blocks in hospital.' To Alex and Miriam's relief, she quickly showed an improvement. Heartbreak: Doctors then revealed devastating news - Lizzy had neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that affects just 90 children in the UK each year. It was stage four and had spread around her body Sad: Lizzy had ten rounds of chemotherapy. 'She lost her blonde, curly hair and the ability to walk,' recalls Miriam. It was heartbreaking She improved so much in the first couple of months and learned to walk. We could see the disease was disappearing and the lump on her head was going down. Then she suddenly took a turn for the worse. In May, two months before her second birthday, doctors gave Lizzy a further dose of chemotherapy. this time she lost her eyelashes and eyebrows. 'Even the doctors were shocked at how quickly the disease was progressing,' says Miriam. The family then received more devastating news - the disease was no longer curable and Lizzy had two months to live. She was so sick she also didn't qualify for trials of any treatment. Decline: While she initially improved with treatment, Lizzy then deteriorated. She died at home two days after her second birthday 'Again, we reacted in different ways,' says Miriam. I was very quiet and accepting - I had instinct this was the way things were going. Alex was more emotional and cried. In the end, Lizzy only lived a further three weeks. She died two days after her second birthday, which she had spent in hospital having radiotherapy. 'We marked her special day in hospital with balloons, cake and a friend playing the guitar,' says Miriam. Lizzy played with her dolls, sticker books and fairies and despite being so ill, she managed to stay awake for most of it. Loved: Lizzy (with brother George). In June, the month before her second birthday, doctors gave Lizzy a further dose of chemotherapy. this time she lost her eyelashes and eyebrows And although the treatment had shrunk most of the tumours, one in Lizzy's liver was growing fast.' Knowing the end was near, doctors allowed her home. But on July 5th, two days after her birthday, she went floppy and stopped breathing during a walk in the park. 'It was the worst moment of my life but I tried to stay calm so she I wouldn't hear my distress,' says Miriam. 'I was crying but trying to soothe her, saying "you'll be fine, Lizzy." Then she died in our arms. On the night of her death, Miriam and Alex took Lizzy to a local hospice where she stayed in a peaceful room with music and twinkling lights around her cot. Doctors explained she had died from a liver haemorrhage. Despair: The family then received more devastating news - the disease was no longer curable and Lizzy had two months to live. She was so sick she also didn't qualify for trials of any treatment Out of control: 'Even the doctors were shocked at how quickly the disease was progressing,' says Miriam The couple then faced the horrific challenge of having to tell George that his little sister was dead. 'It was horrendous,' says Miriam. 'He thought Lizzy was asleep and he had to be quiet but I explained she was in a special place and he wouldn't see her again. We took him to see her at the hospice so he could say goodbye. There was a heartbreaking moment when he tried to open her eyes so she could see him. When he realised she couldn't, he wailed and cried. The next day he went back again, gave her a kiss and said goodbye. He was so mature for a five-year-old and seemed quite a peace with it. The family lay Lizzy to rest the following week. We also made a memorial garden on her grave. Brave: Lizzy died two days after her second birthday, which she had spent in hospital having chemotherapy. 'We marked her special day in hospital with balloons, cake and a friend playing the guitar,' says Miriam Celebrating: Knowing the end was near, doctors allowed Lizzy home after her birthday celebrations Six months on, the couple are still devastated at their loss. Miriam says: 'It's so hard to think that what I thought was a winter virus stole Lizzy's life. But we're trying to get through the grief by campaigning to raise awareness of neuroblastoma so other children can get an early diagnosis. Lizzy's memory will live on.' She and Alex have been fundraising and have so far raised £22,500 for the Neuroblastoma Society. 'We just want to do something proactive,' says Miriam. I cycled the 100-mile Olympic cycle route in the summer and am running both the Brighton and London marathons in the same week this year. 'I feel it's of the utmost importance - we need to raise funds so treatments can be created. There is so much that is not understood about this awful disease and that must change so no other families go through what we have. Miriam is supporting Macmillan Cancer Support's campaign to ensure no one faces cancer alone. For more information or to donate, visit www.macmillan.org.uk or call 0808 808 00 00. To donate to Miriam's fundraising, visit: www.justgiving.com/miriam-bremer1