PARENTS Paul Westwell and Karen Skinner will face a nail-biting three hours on Tuesday waiting for surgeons to say whether or not they can remove their toddler's liver tumour.

Joshua was discovered to have the growth in April and the operation could give him a completely new lease of life.

His parents, from Bacup, have decided to take their eight-month-old daughter Chloe with them to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, while their son Joshua is being operated on because Karen said: "She will help take my mind off what is happening."

Only this week, surgeons told the couple that there is a chance Joshua's tumour may not be operable and he may need a transplant.

Now Paul and Karen will have to wait until lunchtime on Tuesday before the operating team will be able to confirm if the tumour, which has eaten 85 per cent of Joshua's liver, can be removed.

Once that has been determined the operation will take at least a further six-and-a-half hours to complete.

Karen said: "The other mums whose children have gone through this have said I should grow my fingernails so I have something to bite.

"I really don't know how we are going to get through it.

"I have always thought up to now that it is not that serious because he has never been in any pain from it.

"But as the operation gets nearer I can't believe that it is happening to my little baby.

"I am not going to be happy until they come out the of the operating theatre and say what is happening, but they will keep us informed right the way through the operation so we will always know how he is."

Joshua will go immediately into intensive care after the operation and doctors have said it could take ten or more days before he is well enough to go home.

But Karen said: "A little girl who went in for a similar operation was well enough to go home after a week and a day.

"If it is the same for Joshua we will be able to have him back home for his second birthday on September 5."

Karen has asked family and friends not to send birthday cards and presents for Joshua into the hospital, instead to keep them for when he gets home and then they can have a proper celebration for the brave youngster.

His cancer was only discovered when he was taken for a routine check at the doctor's aged 18 months.