A 22-MONTH-old tot who has spent much of his young life fighting liver cancer has been on his first holiday.

Raymond (Ray) Carr has enjoyed a week’s stay at the New Forest, Hampshire, with his parents, Bonnie UIpham and her partner Richard Carr, who live at Plain Pond, Wiveliscombe,

Bonnie, who gave up work to be with him as a baby, said this week: “He is so much more confident. He enjoys being around other children as he was in a room in a children’s ward for ten months - where he definitely found his voice!

“He loves the outdoors and exploring and we are hoping to get him into pre-school next month.

“He is the most brave and loving little boy any parent, brother or sisters, could ask for and myself and Richard are proud, too, be his mummy and daddy.”

She went on: “Ray is doing very well; he is still having weekly bloods as his potassium levels are not quite right.

“However, we had a bit of a scare a few weeks ago when the doctors thought he may have relapsed and needed emergency scans and x-rays. It turned out to be where the scaring is on his liver.

“During his holiday he went in a swimming pool for the first time, and enjoyed lots of fun on the beach; he enjoyed being somewhere away.

“Ray’s hair has finally begun to grow back and he likes to show this off to friends. We are blessed with every day that we have him.”

Ray with his parents back in June, at the end of his treatment in hospital. (tindle )

The Wellington Weekly News revealed earlier this year how Ray had ‘fought many battles’ - sepsis, infections and cardiac arrest, and undergone five rounds of chemo to shrink his tumour by nearly half.

He spent time in Kings College of Nursing Hospital in London having a major eight-hour operation to remove 70 per cent of his liver, before undergoing another five-hour operation. Altogether he has had 26 blood transfusions and he has had to learn to walk again.