IT's the start of a new life for transplant patient Amy Morris.

The nine-year-old Westhoughton schoolgirl has rejoined her classmates at Washacre Primary School after being given the all-clear by doctors.

Less than four months ago, Amy was extremely ill in hospital in Manchester waiting for a transplant.

Read our earlier reports

Finally, a donor heart was found and Amy was flown by helicopter to the Newcastle Freeman Hospital for the operation at the end of September.

Just three weeks later, Amy was allowed home.

She enjoyed enjoying a super Christmas and New Year with her parents Tracy and David, older brother Robert and younger sister Danielle.

And on Tuesday morning she was eagerly looking foward to going to school and playing with her friends again..

Exercising with a walking machine helped her to get fit and she has been able to enjoy running up and down the stairs for the first time in months.

After she went back home, she was still in danger of catching infections and had to be kept indoors and away from her other children.

But, to her family's delight, shortly before Christmas tests revealed her immunity levels had shot up and she was able to join her school friends at their Christmas disco and classroom party and at their carol singing in Westhoughton town centre.

Christmas morning brought gifts of bicycles for all the Morris children and an overjoyed Amy was able to keep up with her brother and sister as they peddled up and down the street.

"We just wanted it all to be as normal as possible," said Mrs Morris. "It has been terrific."

More treats, including a trip to the Albert Halls pantomime, are in store and Mrs Morris is looking forward to returning to work as a home care assistant.

As Amy prepared to go back behind her desk, for the first time in nearly a year, Mrs Morris said: "She is a bit worried about how she is going to cope with the work, but she has been having lessons at home, so she should be fine."

Although she will have to have regular hospital checks and take medication for the rest of her life to prevent her body rejecting the new heart, the future is looking bright for Amy.