Leukaemia survivors start school

Katie and Chelsea Young were diagnosed with the disease in 2001

Identical twins from mid Wales have started high school after surviving leukaemia - against odds of nine-million-to-one.

Katie and Chelsea Young, from Brecon, were diagnosed with the disease within weeks of each other.

The pair were seriously ill but helped each other back to good health, and have now started their secondary school education in the Powys town.

Katie and Chelsea have been given the all-clear following the illness.

They said they were looking forward to life in "big" school.

Their mother Sheena, 42, sent them off to school on Tuesday. She said: "This is the fantastic day I thought I might never see.

Chemotherapy

"When they were diagnosed it was always in the back of my mind that one or maybe both would not pull through.

"There were times when they were both in hospital, when one would improve, while the other worsened.

"It was tough for them and for us as a family, but slowly they beat this awful disease.

"But I think what got the girls through is that they had each other and they drew strength from that."

Katie was the first to be diagnosed in May 2001 after a nurse noticed she was pale and listless.

Mother-of-four Mrs Young was terrified Chelsea also had the disease, but doctors reassured her odds against it were nine-million-to-one.

But tests later revealed that Chelsea had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

The sisters underwent two years of chemotherapy at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff.

They are now in good health, but have been placed in different classes at school.

Katie said: "We've got lots of friends starting with us - everyone knows us. We are feeling really happy and okay now."

Chelsea added: "We've got a big set of friends so high school should be really cool."