MASON Fountain’s family are today coming to terms with the shock that the seven-year-old needs a major brain operation to fight his “naughty lump”.

The brave youngster was first diagnosed two years ago and has faced 20 months of gruelling chemotherapy in a bid to fight the disease.

But a recent MRI scan has revealed Mason’s brain tumour has grown and is now bigger than when doctors first discovered it.

Mum Shelley Fountain and dad Kevin, of Chantry Green, Ipswich, now face the prospect of watching their son go through major surgery.

“Doctors have told us we either go for the operation or let the tumour grow,” said mum-of-four Mrs Fountain. “It is a complete bolt out of the blue.

“We are devastated, the tumour or ‘naughty lump’ as Mason calls it, has stayed fairly stable, even shrinking at the last check.

“But now it has grown again. There is no decision to make really, without an operation it will carry on growing and the unthinkable will happen.”

Preparing her son for the idea of an operation has been “incredibly hard”, she added.

“Mason has found it really hard to deal with.

“It is a shock, it’s the first time the idea of surgery has ever been raised and so it is something he is not used to. Chemo is part of his life now and so he understands that.”

Doctors have told the couple they will attempt to remove as much of the tumour as possible but have yet to set a date for any procedure to take place.

n To find out more about Mason’s charity, visit www.masonsmagic.co.uk

n Have you faced a similar ordeal? E-mail health reporter Lizzie Parry at lizzie.parry@archant.co.uk or call 01473 324739.