The family of a young boy who beat cancer have been given the devastating news that their son has just a 30% chance of survival after doctors found a second tumour.
One-year-old Charlie Smith has battled nearly his entire life after being diagnosed with kidney cancer last July.
The tumour was cut out along with his kidney but the cancer had already spread to his abdomen.
He slipped into a coma in November after picking up a brain infection following a dose of chemotherapy. The Forfar boy regained consciousness days later and went on to receive the all-clear from cancer earlier this year.
But his mum and dad, Liam and Riona Smith, have once again been left heartbroken after doctors revealed their son has another cancerous tumour in his pelvis.
Liam said: “The cancer did go away around January or February this year but we were told it had come back a couple of weeks ago.
“We were in Ninewells at the time and as soon as you are taken into the quiet room, you know it’s not good news.
“This time it isn’t looking very positive as they reckon he has a 30% to 40% chance of survival.
“Unfortunately he has got primitive cancer cells that are apparently really aggressive. We were talking to the doctor and she said it was also really rare for it to come back again.
“There’s a 7cm tumour in his pelvis now. It spread from his kidney. It seems when they took the tumour out it leaked into his pelvis.”
Charlie only returned home from hospital on Monday after suffering from yet another bug. He faces more time away from home to get chemotherapy.
The youngster will have to travel to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh every three weeks for three days’ worth of chemotherapy at a time.
Liam, 25, and Riona, 24, are trying to keep strong for Charlie, his brother Rileigh, 3, and sister Kelseigh, 4, but they know they face a long road ahead.
Even if Charlie’s chemotherapy does work again, the family have to hope the cancer does not return for a third time.
Liam, who works at Bearehill Care Home in Brechin, added: “If he survives this and the cancer comes back in the future, the doctors have warned us that there is nothing they can do after that.
“They would just have to make it as comfortable as possible for him.
“But our main thoughts at this moment are ‘is he going to beat it this time?’
“We just have to remain positive.”