Brave Rubi-May prepares for kidney op

SINCE being diagnosed with cancer, brave Rubi-May Mason has spent just two hours with her new classmates.

Elliot Furniss

SINCE being diagnosed with cancer, brave Rubi-May Mason has spent just two hours with her new classmates.

The four-year-old is today preparing for an operation on Monday to remove her cancerous kidney, but her mother, Maxine, is confident her daughter will be well enough to return to school next year.

“Rubi-May has been very brave and very well-behaved with the doctors. She should have been starting school at Woodley School - and they have been great - but she did manage to go for a couple of hours over two days,” said Mrs Mason, 35.

“She loves music and dancing. She's going to have an operation on Monday to remove her kidney, but the other one is fine.”

The family, from Stowmarket, say they have received incredible support from their friends and the Stowmarket Cancer Support Group.

Mrs Mason, who is married to Paul, 36, said they had received an overwhelming amount of toys, books, DVDs and donations to help them through such a difficult time.

The family have nothing but praise for the excellent care Rubi-May has been receiving at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

They also want to thank friends, family and the local community who have been busy organising fundraising events over the past few months, including a clairvoyant evening at Stowmarket Football Club.

Mr Mason grew up in Hadleigh and worked as a mechanic until last year when he had to stop as he suffers from multiple sclerosis.

Mrs Mason, who used to live in Haughley, was a swimming teacher at Stowmarket Leisure Centre but had to stop giving lessons to spend more time with Rubi-May when she fell ill in August.

Initially doctors felt she had a urinary infection and carried out a blood test but just hours later the diagnosis was confirmed and a Wilms' Tumour was located on her kidney.

Now, after seven hard weeks of chemotherapy, the couple firmly agree with the doctors, who expect Rubi-May to make a good recovery.

Mrs Mason added: “We don't think any different - we expect a very, very positive outcome. Paul and I haven't thought any different from the beginning.

“She knows she has got a naughty lump and all the medicine she is having is going to shrink it. She just wants to be back with her friends and be with other children because she's an only child.”