THE story of Hannah Jones, the 13-year-old former Worcester schoolgirl with a terminal heart condition is truly distressing.

The youngster has been in and out of hospitals all her life after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia at the age of five.

When doctors suggested she might need a heart transplant, Hannah said no. She decided she had been through enough and wanted to spend any time she had left at home with her family.

There was a high risk that she would not survive the surgery and even if she did, the leukaemia could return because of her weakened immune system.

After what appears to have been a mishandled attempt by Herefordshire Primary Care Trust to force Hannah to go to hospital, a child protection officer interviewed her and the trust then decided to respect her wishes.

Although it is regrettable that the trust took such a heavy-handed initial approach, it was right that it should be satisfied that Hannah, with the support of her family, was capable of making such a decision.

What strikes us, apart from the almost unbearable sadness of this little girl’s plight, is her remarkable dignity.

Here is a youngster who demands neither fuss nor pity.

She is facing her ordeal her own way amidst the love of her family.

It comes as no surprise, but it brings a lump to the throat all the same, to read that her father Andrew says simply: “We’re very proud of our little girl.”