A BRAVE student has won a place at one of the world's top universities – despite battling cancer.

Bolton School student Eleanor Harding is off to Cambridge to study medicine after achieving 3A*, an A and an A* in her EPQ — extended project qualification.

Eleanor, aged 20, from Edgworth, has been battling leukaemia since she was 14-years-old.

In April 2014 she underwent a successful bone marrow transplant, after the condition returned in December 2013.

Eleanor said: "I'm so happy with my results and so relieved that my illness did not affect my education.

"After the bone marrow transplant I had a reaction to the drug so my attendance during A-level was just 75 per cent and in the final year it was better but not normal and I got migraines a lot.

"I'm okay now."

Eleanor was determined to work hard at her studies through the illness.

She was diagnosed with acute lympblastic leukaemia in January 2011 after feeling tired all the time.

She was put under the care of the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital where she underwent chemotherapy and the prognosis was positive.

But despite treatment the leukaemia returned and a bone marrow transplant was the only hope.

Eleanor said: "When I was diagnosed my first thought was how it would affect my schoolwork, so school got me through.

"The teachers have been so supportive.

"I had wanted to do medicine before I was diagnosed with leukaemia, and I thought of Cambridge after watching the boat race at seven — my first consultant went to that university."

Now, Eleanor is urging others to sign up to the bone marrow register.

She said: "I was really lucky to get a match with a British person because none of my siblings were a match.

"It is the gift of life."

Yesterday she was celebrating with the rest of the school where a number of young people are now off to Oxbridge.

Alex Hopkinson, aged 18, will read classics at Oxford after gaining 2A* and A and Amy Lyon, who achieved the same result will study medicine.

Alex said: "I'm so pleased, it has been a long journey, I dreamt I had failed and woke up in tears.

"I'm really excited about going to Oxford."

Amy added: "I'm really pleased."