The story of Lismore dad Brad Jones who was separated by a closed Queensland border from his sick daughter Charlotte in September, touched the hearts of many.

Brad battled border politics for months in order to be allowed to visit Charlotte and her mum at the Brisbane hospital. Read more: Border closure heartbreak for family separated cancer 

Now, four year old Charlotte is back in Lismore with her family after months of chemotherapy treatment and she had a great Christmas.

“We got the joy back in our house for Christmas,” Brad said. 

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“Charlotte is getting better and better and she is in great spirits. Her leukemia counts are in remission and the doctors are happy with her progress.

“Her energy levels are coming up and now she gets to see her nan and pop and eat their strawberries they grow. They haven’t been able to see each other for a long time.”

Brad said Charlotte is loving being at home, being in her room and playing with her toys.

“She looks a million dollars,” he said. “Her hair is growing back and she has the longest eyelashes and is very cheeky. 

“She is really growing and is already up to my hip, which is amazing because she got so crook at the beginning of treatment. It hits your body hard and it’s lucky she was so young - I don’t think an adult would have pulled through.

“She’s a little warrior. It’s different having her in house – the other day, she came up behind me and said ‘I got you dad’ and I thought ‘I’ve missed this’.”

“It’s been a hell of a year. My other daughter turned nine recently and Charlotte got involved and we re-lit the candles so she got to blow them out too.

“She turns five years old next month, on January 13.”

Brad said Charlotte still needs chemotherapy and occasionally, they still need to go to Brisbane for treatments, which make her tired.

“Soon, she’ll be on maintenance chemo to make sure it doesn’t come back,” he said. “That will be a once monthly treatment and can do via a tube at home, with referral to Doctor Chris Ingall.

“We just need to watch her temperature - if it spikes, we need to get her back to Brisbane, because Lismore base Hospital can’t hold Charlotte at this point in time.”

Read more: Border politics still stands by between Lismore dad and his sick daughter

Read more: Lismore dad Brad Jones set to reunite the family as border reopens