It is a typical image of a family playing carelessly in the garden.

But for the Coopers, yesterday was a day of new hope that they would see their baby take her first step, say her first word and grow her first tooth together.

Since January, seven-month-old Caitlin's parents have been fighting for Neil, 33, to have more precious time with his young family after being told he had only two months to live.

Doctors told him the cancerous tumours in his lung and adrenal glands were too advanced to be treated and the last-ditch chemotherapy at The Royal Marsden proved ineffective.

Their only hope was to begin a new three-weekly treatment costing about £10,000 a time.

On Tuesday, Neil, his wife Wendy, 32, and his brother Warren, 35, were given a ray of hope when the doctor told them news they had hardly dared to wish for. The best they had expected was for Neil's condition to be stabilised. Instead, they were told the treatment had halved the size of the tumour in his lung and reduced the six tumours in his adrenal glands.

For baby Caitlin, who has been happily oblivious to the trauma her family have been going through, there is now hope she will get to know her doting father. Her parents' smiles yesterday were perhaps the first for months as they begin to look to the future.

But Neil is clear he would not be in the position he is if it had not been for the generous support of Argus readers who have funded the treatment so far.

Already The Argus's Neil Cooper Appeal has raised £47,000 - thanks to friends, family, readers and businesses making donations and holding fund-raising events such as football matches, sponsored walks - even sponsored head shaves. But more money must be raised to continue Neil's treatment.

Neil said: "I wasn't expecting to hear such good news. It's funny because I've been feeling really good over the last two weeks so I was hoping - but deep down I thought I couldn't be so lucky.

"When they gave me the news I didn't know what to do. I've been saying we have got to have some good news at some stage to break the trend - and I was more than pleased to get it on Tuesday.

"We would have only been able to afford the first cycle but probably that in itself wouldn't have helped that much. Without The Argus Appeal, I wouldn't be where I am right now, so a massive thank you to everyone."

Neil undergoes his third round of treatment today, boosted by the scan results. The treatment involves an injection called Carboplatin, which is supplemented with a daily tablet currently under trial called Sorafenib.

After the first cycle of treatment, Neil had to go to hospital because he was so ill with blistered skin, nausea and hallucinations but since the last time he has been feeling very well.

He said: "I will be very optimistic this time around and hopefully remain the same - not being sick and not being tired. But now I know it's doing good, I don't mind if I'm going to be sick.

"From day one I have hoped I could beat it. Even when there was only a remote chance, I believed I could, so Tuesday was a first stage in that process to go on and beat it.

"If we keep going the way we are, fingers crossed I might get rid of it.

"I'm looking towards Caitlin's birthday and beyond. I think the news indicates that's more than a possibility and it's something I've been aiming for all along.

"In my own mind I set my own goals on things that would be nice to see and her birthday is the main goal - that and Christmas. After having such a bad Christmas last year with all the tests going on, it would be good to have a nice one together."

Wendy said she texted friends with the "brilliant news" on the way back from the hospital but it only sunk in when she called people to tell them later in the evening.

She said: "It was the news we wanted to hear but once it began sinking in, I started wondering whether they really said that.

There were days when Neil couldn't stay awake for more than half a day but now he's normal."

The family joined Neil's parents Kathy, 56, and Ray, 61, in their Brighton home for a meal on Tuesday to celebrate with Warren and sister Marie, 25.

Warren said: "It gives us hope, especially considering he was only given two months to live in January. We're going to have another two cycles and Neil will have another scan after that and we will be very interested to see what that achieves."

Mum Kathy said: "I had no idea how it was going to work out so when Neil came in and told me I was really pleased."

Elsa Gillio, Argus Appeal co-ordinator said the first results were thrilling news.

She said: "This appeal has touched the very soul of our community - a community which has stood up to be counted and given Neil and his family the wonderful gift of hope. We pray this is just the beginning of Neil's total recovery."