A three-year-old boy whose "strange symptoms" were initially thought to be from a viral infection is now battling terminal cancer.
Lee-Joshua Hodgson, three, had groin swelling and a cough when his parents took him to a GP in March last year.
He was then taken to hospital, but sent home with antibiotics after doctors decided the odd ailments were caused by a virus, Liverpool Echo reports.
Some months later dad Josh found a lump on the back of the toddler's knee when he fell over.
Doctors initially thought it was a cyst and booked the youngster in for scans in December.
The family were sent home on Christmas Eve with the belief "all would be okay".
But a further scan ruptured the family's life when it showed an extremely rare and aggressive form of terminal cancer.
The cancer - which is called a metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma alveolar - is usually found in the body's soft tissues.
On Boxing Day the youngster underwent major surgery to remove a tumour latched on to his spine.
The growth stopped him walking and the cancer in his bones had also caused his hip to break.
The cancer - which is called a metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma alveolar - had spread across his body and the little one was given between just five to 10 per cent chance of survival.
Dad Josh said: "He had 28 rounds of radiotherapy which he had to be put to sleep for and six-months of the most intense chemotherapy.
"He responded well to it and then was put on maintenance therapy but he was complaining of pain in his back and head and for a long time nothing seemed to get done.
"I believe the surgery he had on Boxing Day opened a gateway for the disease to spread to other parts of his body."
The family was given more devastating news in October of this year when they found out that the cancer had spread to his brain, with one lesion being close to the brainstem.
Doctors told the family the cancer was terminal and they do not know how long the three-year-old has left to live.
Josh added: "They told me it is terminal, but that's the NHS opinion. From a parents point of view, we believe we will find something and we are still looking.
"Whilst he is still here fighting, we will keep fighting for him. He's the strongest kid I've ever met in my life.
"Since his terrible prognosis, he's been much better in himself. We were told he wouldn't walk again but we got him walking ourselves.
"This is a soft tissue cancer, it will pop up everywhere and anywhere because the whole body is soft tissue so why weren't the right decisions made and scanning done sooner?"
A fundraiser was set up earlier in the year to help the family to fund specialist, private treatment abroad.
Bringing in more than £60,000, the family said they were in talks with doctors in Spain to discuss options.
Josh said: "The one we were waiting for, we were told will no longer work for him and we are just waiting to hear back about another combination of treatments.
"He's on a type of chemotherapy now on the NHS and they think he will respond well to it. It won't cure him, we've been told we will lose him to this disease but hopefully it will shrink it.
"There's a trial that's not available here yet, we haven't got the time, but hopefully this treatment will give him long enough until this trial pops up."
In a bid to help the family through this awful time, Kirkby residents Franny Briggs and Jay Murray decided to sleep on the streets from Friday evening to Sunday morning armed with portable phone charges and sleeping bags.
Franny, who is recognised in the community for helping those in need, said: "We originally wanted to raise funds to help baby Lee travel for treatment but now that's not possible as his cancer is too far gone.
"So this money is to make the family more comfortable with the time they have left. We've done all kinds to raise money but this time we wanted to do something different so decided to sleep rough.
"We didn't leave the town centre at all and relied on donations given to us on the day, we only had our phones to keep an eye on the fundraising.
"We raised £3,375 which is great. It was was very cold but we battled on and we had lots of food from local shops and businesses, so we shared that with the real homeless that were there."
Anyone wishing to donate can still do so online.
Josh added: "Franny and Jay said the money was to spend on memories, whatever we decided as a family. It's fantastic, unbelievable what they did.
"They are brilliant in what they do for the community. I've never even met them before and what they've done for us is crazy.
"We have that many people to thank but we would like to thank everyone for their support. A gang of kids did a car wash aged three and four and raised £500 which was touching, it's kids helping kids.
"The whole community is rallying together. Even people in Huyton. As fantastic as it is. money won't change the look on my face but hopefully it will do something when something does pop up."
