'Louie was a happy and healthy little boy - then our world tipped over'

The family of a two-year-old boy who has been diagnosed with an aggressive 17cm tumour in his stomach are attempting to raise £200,000 for him to undergo a revolutionary treatment in the US.

"Cheeky" Louie Turner is "full of life", his loved ones say, but last year he was handed the tragic diagnosis of stage three, high-risk neuroblastoma cancer. His "petrified" parents want to take him across the Atlantic to give him the best chance of long-term survival.

The youngster's family took him to the doctor after he began suffering with constipation, sickness and fatigue. They were told to take him to A&E if he started vomiting - which he did just a few days later. The next day, they received a phone call from a consultant who expressed concern and asked for Louie, from Hull, to return to hospital to undergo an ultrasound scan, reports Hull Live.

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It was there that Louie's family were told the terrifying news medics thought he had a mass in his stomach. Louie underwent an ultrasound scan, which revealed a 17cm tumour.

Louie's grandmother, Sally Turner, who helps to care for the little boy, said: "He was becoming more lethargic and had gone off his food, but other than that he was himself, the happy baby he always has been, running around, cheeky and full of life."

Louie was taken to Leeds Children's Hospital to undergo eight rounds of induction chemotherapy. He then had a ten-hour surgery to remove the tumour, where doctors were able to take away most of the mass.

Dad Daniel, 29, explained: "Doctors had to leave five millimetres of the tumour in his stomach because it was encased in a vein going up to his liver and difficult to remove. "

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