Brave Joshua's two-year battle against brain tumour the size of a ping pong ball

Joshua Cobb, 15, from Mereside, was diagnosed with an advanced form of brain cancer in September 2018 after teachers reported that he was struggling to hear in class.

Joshua, who was 13 at the time, was referred to the Fulwood Clinic in Preston for a routine hearing test and doctors diagnosed him with an auditory processing disorder – a condition which makes it difficult to understand spoken words.

But a later MRI scan revealed something much more sinister: a cancerous tumour the size of a ping pong ball in the middle of his brain.

Joshua’s mum Shona said: “I’ll never forget the moment the doctors rang me and said the words ‘brain tumour’. It was a total shock as it’s something you never expect to hear as a parent.

“I was in the front room at home when I took the call. I remember trying to act normal in front of the kids but in reality I was crumbling inside. I rushed upstairs, locked myself in the loo and texted my husband in a panic.”

In November 2018, Joshua started twelve weeks of chemotherapy treatment - but he didn't respond as well as his doctors had hoped. As a result, he had to have a risky eleven-hour brain operation to remove as much of the tumour as possible before starting a new form of chemotherapy, which lasted more than 18 months.

Shona said: “It was frightening to see him go in for such major surgery. The doctors had to create a tunnel through his brain to get to the tumour and cut through all the different folds and layers to get right to the centre – it was like something from The Great Escape. At that point his life was, quite literally, in their hands.

“It’s certainly been a rollercoaster ride over the last two years. We’ve been in hospital more than three hundred times, Joshua has had four brain surgeries in total, ninety weeks of chemotherapy and has been on life support twice.

“At one point, he lost so much weight that he was unable to eat for nine months and had to be fed through his nose to keep his body functioning properly. But we are just so proud of him. Despite everything, he takes it all in his stride and hardly ever complains.”

Joshua finished his latest round of chemotherapy in July and his cancer is currently stable, though he may need further treatment in the future.

In recognition of his unwavering bravery, he has now received a Cancer Research UK for Children and Young People Star Award.

Every child nominated receives the accolade, which is backed by a host of famous faces including celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, actress Dame Emma Thompson, This Morning’s Dr Ranj and children’s TV star Mister Maker.

Anna Taylor, Cancer Research UK for Children and Young People spokesman for the North West, said: “Joshua is a real star who has been through so much at such a young age. It has been an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate his courage with a Star Award."