THANKS to the fantastic support of CLIC Sargeant and Julia’s House, an intelligent 13-year-old from Melksham fighting an aggressive form of brain cancer got to spend her last weeks at home in the company of friends and family.

Evie Clover, a former St Margaret’s Preparatory, Calne and Royal High School, Bath pupil was able to spend a “brilliant” six weeks at home before sadly passing away on January 11.

Her parents, Patsy and Bryan Clover, said the support given to them was absolutely incredible, but urge more research to be carried out into glioma, a very rare form of brain cancer, and treatments available.

From the moment Evie first felt ill with a headache in October, which was the only warning sign, she lived for just 13 weeks after being diagnosed with a high grade four glioma.

Ten days before the family were due to go on holiday to Spain, Evie had her first headache.

“Until about ten days before half-term she had been a perfectly normal, typical 13-year-old,” Mr Clover said.

On the lead-up to the holiday, she suffered a few more headaches, but they would come and go quickly.

After suffering from a severe headache while in Spain, Evie was taken to hospital where she had neurological tests and was operated on that day to remove some of the tumour.

After the family returned to the UK, and she had numerous operations, surgeons were unable to remove the whole tumour, and began discussing treatment options with her family.

Mr Clover, said: "The advice was chemotherapy and radiotherapy but we decided to take her home.

"She smiled continuously for two weeks, and she had six quality weeks at home."

Mrs Clover added: "We decided it was in her best interest to go home, we made the decision for her own wellbeing and quality of life.

"Up until Christmas she had a really lovely time and she loved seeing her friends, but it wouldn't have been possible without CLIC and Julia's House.

"Take either of them away and it wouldn't have happened."

While home, Evie got to spend a lot of time with school friends and teachers who frequently visited.

A carol concert was put on in the garden, and Santa and the Melksham Lions pulled up outside her house.

"We made the decision to donate her tumour and parts of her brain to research programmes", Mrs Clover said. "It is the rarity of it that is frightening. They have so few cases each year which is why we felt it was important."

"As a person, she was the kindest, most helpful person", Mr Clover explained. "We found out since she died she was helping her friends at school with all sorts of things, just being there for them.

"She was a very kind, generous, loving person.

"She would have made a great nurse or doctor because she understood what helping people meant."

The Royal High School paid tribute to Evie, saying: "Evie was a much-loved and valued member of Year 8 who will be sadly missed by her friends and staff at the school.

"She genuinely loved learning, with all of her teachers describing her as a real joy to teach. She was a talented writer, an able scientist, a keen linguist with natural ability in both French and Spanish, and an impressive student of history.

"Evie loved animals. Her questions in biology were particularly perceptive and she had a desire to expand her already considerable knowledge even further. She loved walking our school dog, Spitfire, with her friends at lunchtimes.

"Evie embraced every opportunity and was quick to think of the needs of others. She had plans to raise money for the school-supported charity - the Crane Academy in Kenya - this Christmas.

"Evie never sang her own praises and got quite embarrassed if the spotlight was placed on her. However, if you talked to her individually about something she had achieved, she would grin from ear to ear and give a very Evie-like giggle. Indeed, her laughter was the one thing that everyone who knew her mentioned when they thought of her."

The family welcomes donations to CLIC Sargent and Julia's House.

For enquiries, please contact Wootten and Son Funeral Directors on 01249 812258.