A BRAVE seven-year-old was diagnosed with two life-threatening growths on his skull after telling his parents he was suffering from headaches.

Lewis Bircham, from Connah’s Quay, was taken to the family doctor when he suffered from headaches repeatedly for four days in April.

The Dee Road Infant School pupil was then referred to the Countess of Chester Hospital for a scan which showed two growths on his skull.

Football-loving Lewis ended up staying at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool for three weeks to be given antibiotics through a drip to shrink the growths.

His mum and dad Peter and Hayley are now raising money for the charity which helped them while their son was in hospital.

Dad Peter, 43, said the lumps on his son’s skull were not cancerous, but he could have died if they had continued to grow without being treated.

“It was horrible,” said Peter. “It all started from sinusitis. Doctors think the infection got blocked and travelled up and got lodged near his skull.

“It might have been a lot worse if he’d not been to the doctor then. The lumps looked big on the scan, they were in between his skull and his brain.”

Lewis is due to return to Alder Hey next month for a scan when he will find out whether or not he needs to undergo an operation to remove the growths.

The family is now raising money for the Ronald McDonald House, the centre they stayed in during Lewis’ time in hospital which provides free accommodation near Alder Hey for patients’ families.

“The staff were amazing,” said Peter, who works as an odd-job man in Connah’s Quay.

“We had no toothbrushes or anything with us and they helped sort us out.

“If it’s your own kid that’s poorly you don’t want to leave them to come home in the evening. Hayley and I were taking it in turns through the night to sit with Lewis.”

A fundraiser will take place on Saturday featuring a sponsored walk around Deeside and a party at the Old Quay House pub in Connah’s Quay, which will also be attended by two other children who were patients at Alder Hey Hospital.

Little Megan French and Kian Bolt, both from Connah’s Quay, underwent open-heart surgery to treat holes in their hearts.

“Anyone can come along,” said dad-of-four Peter. “We want to raise as much as we can. We’re going to walk from the pub to the blue bridge along the coastal path and then through Queensferry, Shotton and Connah’s Quay back to the pub where there’ll be raffles a bouncy castle, disco and barbecue.”

The walkers will leave the Old Quay House on Dock Road at 10am and the fundraiser at the pub kicks off at 1pm.

Fancy dress is optional.