Meg King, the heart of the Harrow Times' appeal, suffered another blow this week when she fell and broke her hip. Embarking on the last course of chemotherapy before she can get on with her life, Meg faces another major operation.

IT has been a bad few days for the King family.

Cancer invaded their lives in December last year and its grim consequences have shaped every day since.

Meg was diagnosed with a bone tumour on her 12th birthday and has spent much of the last year in and out of hospital.

As she entered her last cycle of chemotherapy her mother, Jane Westgarth, 41, kept her fingers crossed, quietly hoping that her daughter's suffering would finally ease up.

But on Saturday, Meg's final months of treatment were set back further when she lost her balance as she walked to the toilet and cracked her hip.

Jane and partner Jeff, 41, from Hayes, are struggling with the guilt they feel over an accident they could not have prevented.

Jane explained: "I had gone home on Friday night as Meg's little sister was going away and I wanted to see her off, Jeff was going to be at the hospital the next morning.

"By the time he got there Meg had fallen, she called me sobbing her heart out. Jeff went with her to be X-rayed and they said it was just bruised but the pain kept on getting worse and they found the top part of her leg had been cracked."

When patients are undergoing chemotherapy and are not able to exercise there is a risk of their bones weakening, which can result in an increased chance of fractures.

It was only last month that Meg had the plaster removed from her leg after breaking her ankle while out for a family lunch.

Jane said: "The chemotherapy has made the bones in her right leg practically see through, they have gone soft like an old lady's bones."

The pain has been so severe that Meg has spent the week on strong painkillers, making her constantly drowsy.

With Meg awaiting a review by her consultant at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, the accident may mean that she has to undergo her second major operation in less than six months, a further delay for a girl who just wants to get back to the normal life.

Meg was due to go home earlier in the week and was looking forward to spending a week with her grandmother but since the fall she has to remain in hospital with her dedicated mum at her side.

Jane said: "This has knocked us back a bit. Jeff is feeling like it is his fault and is blaming himself but I keep telling him that I could blame myself for having left her for a few hours.

"He can't blame himself because it could have happened even if he was there."

The Harrow Times has pledged to raise £20,000 by December to fund a specialist oncology and orthopaedic nurse's work with families like Jane's in times where they need someone to explain the complicated medical jargon, listen to their worries and generally be a friend.

Please help us by donating as little as £1. Make your cheques payable to CLIC Sargent and send them to: CLIC Sargent Appeal, Harrow Times, Caxton Court, Caxton Way, Watford, Herts, WD18 8RJ.