Melissa Huggins to begin cancer treatment

But Melissa, who has been waiting in America for three weeks to start the treatment for a fast-spreading brain tumour at the Massachusetts General Hospital, is just pleased the course is finally getting under way.

Speaking from the apartment she's hired with her parents, Mark and Lorraine, in Boston, she said: "I hadn't prepared myself to lose any hair because I didn't think that was one of the symptoms of radiotherapy, but if that's the way it has to be, then so be it. Maybe I will look a bit odd for a time, but losing a bit of hair is the least of my worries.

"I've asked them to be aggressive with the treatment. Having hair is just a vanity thing isn't it?"

During the session on Friday, Melissa's face was also fitted with a moulded mask, which will enable her head and spine to be kept in the same position during her treatment, to enable the radiotherapy to target her tumour and her tumour only.

She was told that symptoms like tiredness, nausea and a burning sensation in her head will appear in about three weeks but, again, she is undaunted by the possible side-affects.

She said: "I've been getting nervous because of the waiting but now I just feel upbeat. All the meetings and the planning have left me feeling tired, so I'm hoping the actual treatment will be a walk in the park."

Meanwhile, Melissa's finace James Pegram, sister Katrina and her finace Ben have all flown back to Britain, although James will return to America on Saturday in time for the start of Melissa's treatment.

Melissa has been spending her days in the apartment, trying to get us much rest as possible, a task not difficult considering the amount of snow that's been falling on Boston.

She added: "I couldn't believe it when I saw the snow that had fallen in Britain, although it's nothing compared to here. I heard St Ignatius had closed down, which is something that never happened when I was there!"