BATTLING cancer was never going to be easy, but brave tot Parker Royle is always smiling no matter what life throws his way.

The 18-month-old, from Great Sankey, has recently returned from Paris after undergoing an operation to remove the tumour while saving his kidneys and bladder before having brachytherapy - a high dose of radiotherapy from within the prostate gland.

Parker, who was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma shortly after celebrating his first birthday, flew out to Paris last month to have the life-saving treatment with his parents, Alexandria Mckenzie and Stephen Royle.

Mum Alexandria said: “It has been the worst experience of my life. It’s been a living hell. I thought the chemo before was bad but that was nothing compared to this.

“When they first brought him back in they shouted to us ‘stand back he’s radioactive’. But before now, he has never had to be on his own.

“But I couldn’t just stand there while he was in so much pain. He jumped out of his cot and I just picked him up. I didn’t care if it made me ill.”

Both Alexandria and Stephen were told to stand behind screens to avoid over exposure but nothing could keep them both from holding their ‘little soldier’.

“I have been so sick but Parker needed me so it didn’t matter,” said Alexandria, who refused to be kept away from her son.

Parker has since responded well to the treatment but is still undergoing chemotherapy to fight the final bits of cancer at Alder Hey Hospital.

“I know a lot of parents say this about their kids but Parker never stops smiling. He is doing so well,” she added. “Before his big operation I asked him if he was bothered about it and he said ‘nope I can do this thing stood on my head, dad you want to see?"

“Because of Parker’s case, they also sent out a radiologist to Paris to see how they treated Parker so hopefully other people will not have to go through what we went through and have the stress of travelling to another country.”

To show your support for Parker visit facebook.com/teamparkerroyle.