So, when’s Santa coming, mummy?

6:37pm Thursday 20th December 2007

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ETHAN Connolly has recovered from his surgery nicely and is busily preparing for Christmas.

These pictures show him helping to get his home ready for the festive season for his mum Karen, dad Kevin and sister Tilly, two.

"We took him to Gulliver's on Sunday to see Father Christmas," said Karen. "He loved it.

"He's got some reindeer dust that we're going to sprinkle outside nanny's house down south on Christmas Eve so Father Christmas will know where to find him," she said.

The three-year-old from Well Lane, Penketh, who has a lymphatic malformation that causes cysts to grow on soft tissue, has recently had tongue reduction surgery to help him speak.

"His speech therapist is really impressed - he's doing well," said Karen.

Next year holds lots for Ethan, too.

In January he will have a CT scan to give his surgeon the information to decide what the next stage of his treatment should be.

In February he will be back in Berlin for more treatment.

His mum and dad hope that by September, when he starts school, his tracheotomy - the tube that helps him breathe - will be out.

When the Warrington Guardian featured Ethan's story in June hundreds of people were inspired to help and, to date, the Ethan's Journey campaign has raised more than £50,000.

He has already had one operation in Berlin but will need several more.

The NHS will not pay for the operations and so his family needs money to give their little boy the best start in life they can.

Across Warrington, people have joined together to donate money to Ethan.

"It's his Christmas concert at nursery tomorrow and I just know I'm going to cry!" said Karen.

"They are singing songs, but I think they will mainly be waving at their mums and dads," she said.

"I'm really looking forward to it, I think it's going to be really cute."

You can donate online at ethansjourney.co.uk or send donations to Ethan's Journey, Newsdesk, Warrington Guardian, 138 Bridge Street, Warrington, WA1 2RU. Cheques should be made payable to Ethan's Journey.