Updated 1.11 p.m.

Four-year-old cancer fighter Leah Xuereb arrived at London Heathrow Airport and was briefly held up by security during the transfer to a waiting Air Malta aircraft this afternoon because her medicine is in liquid form.

However Air Malta pulled all the stops to sort out all problems  to ensure that the young girl made it to the Maltese plane.

The flight from the US to London arrived three hours late.

"Air Malta have moved heaven and earth. They arranged a surface transfer and had someone waiting by the (US) plane to transfer Leah and her parents to Terminal Four. But they were then stopped by security because of Leah's medication, which is in liquid form,"  Jo Kesbey said.

The problem was quickly overcome and Leah and her parents were allowed through to the Air Malta plane.

She said the Air Malta crew have bought presents for the girl and had prepared a warm welcome for her.

The flight is due to arrive in Malta at 3.30 p.m.

Leah was discharged from a specialised cancer hospital in the United States on Saturday and started the trip home yesterday.

“We’ve gone through a lot, but when we were given the good news we forgot everything and a sense of relief overcame us. We had to suffer, true, but at least it was all for a good cause. The operation was tough, but it was also a miracle,” Leah's father Jonathan told The Sunday Times on Saturday.

Mr Xuereb added that Leah did not need antibiotics and painkillers any more, and the doctors told them she would not have to have chemotherapy because the operation had gone well.

On November 12, she underwent a complicated 12-hour surgery to remove a very rare form of stomach cancer, after previous treatment in London failed.

After a tough month, good news flowed in during the past few days. Leah was a bit under the weather on her fourth birthday on Sunday week, feeling sleepy and not in the mood of playing. But by Wednesday, she started to get better and the doctors gave the go ahead for solid food. “And believe me she ate! I gave her all she asked for, I was so glad she had an appetite... five pieces of crackers, a cherry tomato, baby carrots, four pieces of chocolate, a piece of bread... The doctors were surprised as much as we were.” 

He also expressed gratitude for the support he found in the Maltese and the Government, urging people to help out others in the yearly L-Istrina marathon.