Gail Hepworth's story is one of courage, determination, and most of all hope.

Devastated by the diagnosis of incurable bone cancer, this young North Yorkshire mother never gave up hope. Gail resolved that she would not be robbed of seeing her two children grow up without a tremendous fight.

Her ferocious life force is fuelled by the love of husband David and boys Tom and Jack. It has inspired friends and - largely through the Evening Press - strangers to do all they could to help.

Thanks to their efforts, the fund to send her to the United States for pioneering treatment hit its target in double-quick time. A year ago she set off for New York to the Schachter Centre for Complementary Medicine.

On her return, the Evening Press organised a VIP trip to a York pantomime for Gail and her family.

Although the US treatment had made a huge difference to Gail, no one pretended it was a miracle cure. There remained the unspoken possibility that that could have been the family's last Christmas together.

Happily, they are looking forward to another wonderful festive season. Gail no longer needs morphine to control the pain and continues to enjoy a much-improved quality of life.

Hers is one of those cases that contradicts orthodox medicine. For all our impressive knowledge of the mechanics of the human body, there is still much we do not know. We do not know why, for example, the indomitable spirit of someone like Gail can defy disease. We only know that sometimes it does.

Today's story will delight everyone who worked so hard to help Gail go to America. And it offers a beacon of hope to all who are battling illness.

We welcome this early opportunity to wish Gail and her family a very happy Christmas.