A BRAIN tumour survivor from Callands is flying to India to help poverty stricken children in Goa.

"I'm now in a position where I can help other people - whereas everyone has been helping me," said Rachel Akers, from Carmarthen Close.

"I can now give something back."

The 25-year-old originally went to India three years ago. She needed brain surgery last year and now feels absolutely fine' and ready to go back.

She said: "It was a bit of a shock but I knew it was in God's hands and I didn't have to worry."

Her £2,000 living costs for the six-month trip have been raised through donations and charity events.

She will be working with a Christian charity called El Shaddai and leaves on October 28.

"I always wanted to go back and now I feel the time is right," said Rachel, a senior nursery nurse at Kingswood Community Centre, who is also a Brownie leader at Lathom Hall.

"I love working with children and it's really nice to be able to make a difference to the street children's lives.

"There's a lot of poverty - young children begging in the street and parents hitting their children for no reason. It's a completely different way of living."