A seven-year-old girl battling a rare disease is set to undergo a life-changing operation to have her bowel removed.
Poppy-mae Jones, from Ellesmere Port, has suffered from a bowel condition since she was born and experiences chronic stomach pain everyday.
But now the seven-year-old has been given the devastating news that she must undergo an major operation called a colectomy, at Alder Hey Children's Hospital on March 5, to have her large colon removed.
Once the surgery is complete, an ileostomy will be fitted to Poppy-mae's small intestine which will require regular maintenance.
An ileostomy is where the small bowel is diverted through an opening in the stomach and a special bag is then placed over the opening to collect waste products.
Mum Sharon said she is heartbroken for her daughter, who is finding if difficult to get her head around the operation.
A tube is currently attached to Poppy-mae's bowel to deliver medication, to help try and ease some of her pain, Cheshire Live reports.
But despite the seven-year-old's illness she is often all smiles and has raised thousands to help other poorly children like her.
Sharon, said: "As a mother I felt like I had let Poppy down.
"Poppy-mae is finding it a little difficult to get her head around it. She won't talk about it and ignores when we talk about it and acts like everything is OK.
"Long term we have no idea whether this is going to help or not, only time will tell."
After the operation on Thursday, the family will have to help Poppy-mae adapt to her new circumstances.
Sharon said: "An ileostomy is different to a colostomy [bag] as it needs emptying more often than a colostomy as nothing is getting absorbed into the body.
"She is at more risk of dehydration and vitamin B deficiency as well."
According to mum Sharon, keyhole surgery was not an option for Poppy-mae due to the condition of her colon.
Instead she will be having open surgery which carries more risks and longer recovery.
Sharon added: "We are hoping this will help her pain but it is not guaranteed as she has other issues like joint pains and chronic fatigue."
The surgery comes after Poppy-mae underwent an operation in August to try and fix her large colon, which unfortunately failed.
Poppy-mae has also recently received a diagnosis of hypermobility syndrome which causes extreme joint and muscle pain and fatigue.
But the family remain hopeful and are helped by Poppy's positivity and determination to help others like her.
Poppy-mae's Facebook fundraising page has received hundreds of messages of support ahead of the operation tomorrow.
Sharon said: "I'm so proud of her in every way and wish with all my heart she didn't have to go through any of this, regardless if this may help her.
"The fact that she is having a major organ taken away is what we are finding hard to deal with and I'm sure not one parent would want this for their baby!
"She is amazing in every way!"
