Diamond Marshall, the little girl who hugged Kate Middleton, gets her ‘Christmas miracle’

Six-year-old Diamond Marshall made headlines all over the world when she ran into the arms of Kate Middleton last summer in Calgary.

The little girl was battling a rare form of adrenal cancer at the time.

A heartfelt letter, expressing her desire to meet the duchess, gave Diamond the opportunity to greet her hero with flowers at the airport on July, 7th, 2011.

"That hug had a lot of meaning, we're very thankful for that meet and greet for her and the whole community rallying behind her," Lyall Marshall, Diamond's father, told CTV Calgary. "From a father's point of view when you can say the whole world is rooting for you to get better, I mean that's a lot."

She recently wrote another letter to Will and Kate: she is now cancer-free.

"I passed the news to Their Royal Highnesses, who asked me to convey how pleased they are to hear the news and their best wishes to Diamond and her family at this happy time," wrote a palace spokesman.

"They hope for a joyful 2012 for Diamond and her family."

The joyful news came just two days ago after a successful surgery removed cancerous tumours.

"Call it a Christmas miracle — it is a miracle," Lyall said of the recovery.

Because doctors still want to ensure the cancer is completely eradicated from Diamond's small body, they want to "flush her system" with chemo and provide a bone-marrow transplant.

"Cancer is a tricky thing and we're celebrating right now, but she's still got a long road to recovery for this surgery and then she has a transplant in January," said Lyall.

After her surgery in the New Year, Dreams Take Flight will grant Diamond the opportunity to meet her favourite princess at Disneyland: Sleeping Beauty's Princess Aurora.

"That really put a smile on her face," her elated father said.