Hull parents' joy as son starts nursery after brain tumour

Roux Owen will start at his nursery in Hull on 6 September

The parents of a two-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare brain tumour when he was four weeks old have said they are overjoyed he is starting nursery.

Roux Owen underwent 13 operations after the growth was detected in 2019 and at one stage his parents, Antony and Amy, were told to consider end-of-life care.

Now, the youngster from Hull is set to start nursery next week.

Mr Owen said after the initial "hammer blow" of his diagnosis it was "a day we never thought we would see".

Roux (left) with his mother, Amy, and father, Antony, and older brother, Noah

The tumour was diagnosed after the couple, both 34, noticed their son's left eye was swollen when he was born.

At the time doctors said it would settle down but two weeks later after it did not improve a CT scan revealed a shadow on his brain.

Roux underwent emergency surgery and was diagnosed with a large, low-grade germ cell tumour (GCT) called an immature teratoma.

Roux underwent a series of 13 operations after being diagnosed

"We breathed a sigh of relief when we were told it wasn't high-grade, but it was still an invasive tumour, large and extremely rare," Mr Owen said.

"The doctors could only find one other identical case of it anywhere in the world."

Roux began a series of treatments and spent months in hospital, where he also contracted pneumonia and viral meningitis.

He was eventually discharged after his tenth surgery on 1 October 2020 - his first birthday.

The toddler has been left partially blind and remains at risk of tumour regrowth and also suffers from seizures.

However, his father said he is an "incredibly joyful and happy little boy".

"He lights up the room and you can't help but smile when you are in his company," Mr Owen said.

Roux's father Antony said he was an "incredibly joyful" little boy

The family said starting at his nursery in Hull on 6 September would be a "big step forward".

"It's a day we never thought we would see, especially when we were told that he was probably going to pass away," Mr Owen said.

He said he hoped nursery would help build his son's confidence as due to the pandemic his interaction with other children had been limited.

"We just want him to have a decent run where he doesn't have any seizures or hospital appointments."

The family have worked with the Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of the disease and Hugh Adams, from the charity said they were "so pleased" he was beginning nursery school.

"He has already been through so much, so this is wonderful for him and his family," he added.