Tributes to brave Leeds two-year-old Skye Sutcliffe who has lost her battle with leukaemia

Skye Sutcliffe, from Middleton, Leeds, had miraculously been deemed cancer-free in June following a long battle with acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukaemia but in September it emerged that both strains of the disease had returned.

Skye, who only turned two in September, was initially diagnosed with leukaemia when she was 20 weeks old and her battle with the disease has led her family to raise more than £17,000 for the Candlelighters and Delete Blood Cancer UK charities, while organising events encouraging people to sign the bone marrow register.

Her parents Amie Mills and Damion Sutcliffe were recently advised to make the heartbreaking decision to sign a 'do not resuscitate' form for their beloved daughter and her chemotherapy dosage was doubled to make her more comfortable in her final few months.

A statement released this morning by the family said: "At 8.46pm last night our Skye Pie passed away peacefully surrounded by most of her loved ones.

"Her brothers were so very brave, we are extremely proud of them.

"We thank you all for your support throughout Skye's amazing fight for life, she did us proud too."

Tributes are being paid to Skye on a Facebook page dedicated to her battle with leukaemia.

One commenter wrote: "You were and always will be admired by many for your strength and courage and your beautiful smiles."

Another added: "She was such a inspiration to others and showed us what life meant."

It was hoped that Skye could overcome her rare double diagnosis in August last year, when her brother Harvey, four, donated bone marrow to her but within months few donor cells remained and her illness was deemed terminal.

Despite the prognosis, doctors found that she had made a miraculous recovery in June when she went into ‘spontaneous remission’ but she later had an “extremely aggressive” relapse.

A charity fun run in the late youngster's name will take place on Sunday February 14 next year. The second 'Running for Skye' 5k run will raise funds for Candlelighters and Delete Blood Cancer UK in Middleton Park.

Visit runleeds.co.uk/runningforskye for details or donate to Skye's fundraising pages at justgiving.com/Skye-Sutcliffe or justgiving.com/Skye-sutcliffe1.