Terminally ill girl, 7, has 'days to live' but mum can't afford to keep heating on

The mum of a terminally ill girl who could have just days to live says she can't afford to keep the heating on due to the cost of living crisis.

Anastasia Hazell, seven, was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour last March and is unable to speak or walk and has to eat through a feeding tube.

Mum Alexandra Hazell, 35, has revealed she’s struggling to keep the heating on in the family's home in Norfolk as her daughter's condition deteriorates.

Everyday costs have risen sharply in recent months, combined with energy bills, tax hikes, and rising inflation, all putting financial pressure on households.

Ms Hazell said: "The cost of living has just skyrocketed. We've had to turn the heating off twice.

"We just want to spend time with her but all my time is spent worrying about this."

Read more: Boy taken to hospital after venomous adder bite at UK beach

Anastasia is being cared for at home by nurses and family as they wanted to be together rather than having their daughter in hospital.

She is living with mum Alexandra, dad James, 35, and brother Ryker, three, in a village near Great Yarmouth.

Ms Hazell, a support worker, added: "Anastasia is getting towards the end and we're still having to rattle around for money.

"Our heating has gone off twice as we've run out of oil. It's just impossible.

"It got so bad we were all camped in her room with a wood burner. We were throwing wood on the fire to make the room warm enough to get through the night.

"The other time we ran out of oil we were having to put heated blankets on Anastasia because she was turning blue."

Read more: Girl, three, 'dead behind the eyes' after 'salmonella poisoning from Kinder Surprise egg'

Ms Hazell said they hadn't been able to give Anastasia a warm bath or shower at times and there were weeks when they couldn't afford basic things.

The family put away £1,000 for last Christmas but it has already been spent on food and heating costs.

Anastasia was described as a healthy girl before the devastating diagnosis last March, a week after her sixth birthday.

Her condition — a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG — is a rare and aggressive brain tumour that is almost impossible to treat.

Doctors said that Anastasia's tumour was incurable and gave her around 12 months to live.

Ms Hazell said: "She was a singer and dancer. Totally healthy and normal girl.

"She had a lot of friends and was one of the more popular girls in class.

"The diagnosis came completely out of nowhere. We noticed one day that she was a bit weak on one side.”

Anastasia's parents have set up a GoFundMe page which can be accessed here.