CHIPPENHAM toddler Jacob Withers remains in hospital, after undergoing a second operation to remove part of a brain tumour, while his family works to raise £150,000 to fly out to America for life-saving treatment.

The 19-month-old was diagnosed with a Grade Three Glioma in the brain stem in November 2015, after doctors initially thought he had a chest infection. Doctors removed 50 per cent of the tumour, but after 12 rounds of chemotherapy had to operate again after finding the remainder had not shrunk, as they had hoped.

Jacob has now had another operation which removed 40 per cent of the remaining tumour, at Bristol Children’s Hospital.

“We were planning to do it mid-June but a slot opened up and we found out the day before,” said Jacob’s dad, David, 46, who works as an IT project manager and is married to Lilly, 36. The family live on Willow Bank, Chippenham.

“We don’t know when he will be leaving the hospital at the moment, he got a chest infection following the operation.

“There will be a little break while he recovers from the operation and will have more chemotherapy in the meantime.

“The remaining tumour is inoperable because it’s too close to the brain stem.”

Jacob’s family are now trying to raise £150,000 so the youngster can travel to America and get proton beam therapy, not covered on the NHS. Earlier this year, readers of the Wiltshire Times, the Gazette’s sister paper, rallied round to help youngster Alexander Vinson raise £150,000 for the same treatment. It was successful and he was given the all clear last month.

“We’re trying to put it off as long as possible because the older he is the better, as it’s potentially less damaging,” added Mr Withers.

Mr Withers added: “The support is starting to build up, there was initially a flurry and Mike [Hyman] from Kids ‘n’ Cancer has been spreading the word.

“We do feel more confident Jacob can make it through especially meeting Raluca, Alexander’s mum, and another family from Wales, seeing that they have been through the journey.”

Mike Hyman, co-founder of Kids ‘n’ Cancer, who are supporting the family, said: “This little boy and his family typify the type of people we’ve encountered and supported in the five years since the charity was established.

“They’re all fighters. Jacob is really hanging on in there, even through all the pain and suffering he’s had to endure.”

“And that’s not to mention his parents. David and Lily have been through a whirlwind of emotion in the past few months and they also deserve a positive outcome to this nightmare.”

To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/savebabyjacob.