A teenage girl with terminal leukaemia who has endured two bone marrow transplants has decided to forego any further hospital treatment, opting instead to make the most of the time she has left with her family.

Since being diagnosed with the disease two years ago, Josie Grove, 16, from Corbridge, Northumberland, has undergone a course of aggressive anti-cancer drugs. "I've had enough of hospitals," she said yesterday.

"A course of drugs I took in September left me feeling ill, shaky and aching, and it didn't do much to fight the cancer. I want to get on with my life and enjoy spending time with my family. I've just had a blood transfusion, which I have every two weeks, and that leaves me feeling lively again.

"When I heard I had leukaemia I didn't realise it was cancer, so I shrugged it off. I later found out what it was, but I didn't let it affect me."

Josie's father Cliff, 46, and mother, Jacqui, 44, who are both jewellery designers, have agreed with their daughter's decision to halt treatment.

"She is unique to be in this situation and deal with it in such a mature way," her father said. "The transplants were pretty tough. She has just had enough of it and she is not frightened of the future. She is a strong character and has even made it easier for us. She's 16 and she's made her mind up."

Josie's best chance of survival came when the family discovered that her baby brother, Charlie, was a perfect bone marrow match. However, doctors could not take enough stem cells from his umbilical cord, so they carried out another transplant using bone marrow from an anonymous donor. Neither proved successful.

The family, who used to live in Thailand, moved back to England after Josie was diagnosed.

Josie was attending Hexham's Queen Elizabeth high school until September, when she decided she did not want to spend the time she had left at school.

Since then, she has been on a family trip to London, where she had lunch at the Ritz and flew in a helicopter.

She now plans to spend a quiet Christmas at home with her family.

Her father said yesterday that Josie had been the one who had "held it together" for the family. "She's amazing. She's the one who has held our hand through this," he said. "Josie is such a talented girl. She's a fantastic artist and she's used to travelling the world with us. The world is her oyster. That's the great tragedy."