BRAVE Alfie Cueto-Davies has had a lot to deal with in his short life, battling a rare form of cancer, which affects just eight children in the UK each year.

The 21-month-old youngster is currently undergoing chemotherapy to try and shrink a tumour on his liver so he can undergo a major operation to remove the aggressive cancer, which has now spread to his lungs and pancreas.

If it cannot be removed he faces having a liver transplant, but doctors will not operate until his body is free from all other tumours.

His mum Michelle Cueto, 20, of the Gaer, first noticed a lump in his stomach in January but doctors insisted it was just a cyst and nothing to worry about.

But two months later it had grown to the size of an egg and he had lost half his body weight, prompting the mum-of-two and his dad Anthony Davies, 22, to rush him to the Royal Gwent's emergency department.

He was transferred to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales where doctors broke the devastating news he has an advanced form of Hepatoblastoma - a condition which affects just eight children a year in the UK.

Miss Cueto said: "It was like there was nothing else to live for. Everyone stopped everything, nobody went to work, it was just a total shock."

The youngster was put on chemotherapy, which the family have been told is almost certain to make him deaf and increase his chances of heart and kidney failure.

The toddler who is fed his food and medication through a tube in his nose, has also bravely endured four blood transfusions to help boost his red blood cells.

The family now face an anxious wait to see if an MRI scan on May 26 will show the tumour has shrunk enough for him to have an operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

As if that wasn't enough the Cueto's are also waiting to find out if the cancer is genetic, in which case they will all have to be tested for the carrier gene.

But the close family remain positive and say they have been overwhelmed by the help and support they have received.

  • MISS Cueto's sister Antonia, 21, has organised a sponsored teddy bear walk and picnic at Tredegar House tomorrow to help raise money to support the family financially during this trying time. The Disney-themed fancy dress event starts at 11am and includes a raffle.

Anyone who wants to contribute to Alfie's fund can donate via paypal to alfiestrustfund@yahoo.co.uk or send a cheque made payable to Alfie's Trust Fund to Maria Jones, 13 St Basils Crescent, Bassaleg, Newport, NP10 8PH.