Kara Siert started writing stories as soon as she could hold a pen and achieved her dream of becoming a published author after her family was put in touch with the charity Dreams Come True.

Doctors discovered a tumour in her arm last year which spread to her bones, but after 10 months of chemotherapy and an operation it is hoped she is on the road to recovery.

Adoptive mother Linda Siert, who took Kara from China to the United States when she was 11 months old, before the family relocated to RAF Lakenheath, said: "She has always been very imaginative – as soon as she learned to write she started coming up with her own stories and characters.

"She was so excited when she opened the package with the first copy of her own book in it – we were all very proud, it is an amazing achievement."

Her achievements caught the eye of the charity's patron, Cliff Richard, who wrote to the family saying: "With The Eyes Of A Child was a song I recorded many years ago. Kara's remarkable book brings the lyrics sharply into focus."

The second edition of Kara's book, printed this month, includes the singer's message and a quotation from the song as a prologue.

Tales of Cunburra and Other Stories is published by Arima Publishing and is available from Amazon and other online book retailers.