THE family of a Musselburgh boy have spoken of their devastation after being told he is suffering from a rare and aggressive brain tumour.

Seven-year-old Colin Gora, of Mansfield Road, was taken to the doctor over Christmas after he began to feel unwell.

At first, it was believed he had a virus, and his condition initially seemed to improve.

But two weeks later, his worried dad Przemyslaw, 27, took him to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, where a CT scan revealed that he was suffering from a brain tumour.

“He was still not moving from the bed or anything. The CT scan showed there was something big,” said Przemyslaw.

His aunt and godmother Monika Koniecka, who lives at the Wimpey estate in Musselburgh, said: “We were all thinking that he was dehydrated due to a belly bug going around family and friends, but very disturbing was the fact that Colin was very sleepy and my brother couldn’t wake him up properly. It’s not possible to explain what you feel or think after you hear a diagnosis like that.”

The same night, brave Colin, a P3 pupil at Musselburgh Burgh Primary School, had his first operation to drain the excess fluid from his brain to ease the pressure and he had surgery in early January in an attempt to remove the tumour.

The family felt “blessed” when he woke up and was able to move, smile and talk, showing no signs of paralysis.

Surgeons had been able to remove 80 per cent of the tumour and Colin was allowed home.

Przemyslaw and his mum Marzena, Colin’s gran, later went to the hospital for the results of a biopsy – to be told the bombshell news that Colin had a rare and aggressive grade four glioma brain tumour.

With his oncologist’s permission, Colin visited Poland with his dad to spend some time with his grandparents and other family members before he started chemotherapy and radiotherapy on February 11 for six weeks.

He receives chemotherapy in liquid form in juice at his home and travels for daily radiotherapy to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, where he has to wear a specially fitted mask with an image of Spider-Man.

Przemyslaw said: “On March 4, Colin will have an MRI scan to see what is going to happen.

“In my opinion, if the chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not going to change anything, we want to look at different treatments and other options.

“That tumour has changed everything – it can’t get any worse but Colin is fighting.”

Football-mad Colin, who has a nine-year-old brother Mairo, went back to school on Monday.

Przemyslaw said: “Colin is OK but sometimes complains about a sore head. We want to keep everything as normal as we can.”

Przemyslaw has had to give up his job as a cook at Cakes & Shakes in Musselburgh to take Colin to hospital appointments and is still waiting on benefits.

His partner Kamila Kamin, 26 – Colin and Mairo’s mum – works in the kitchen at Drummohr Care Home in Wallyford.

Monika has launched a GoFundMe appeal at gofundme.com/help-us-save-colin in a bid to raise £50,000 to pay for future private treatment, cover travelling costs to daily hospital appointments and dietary costs.

The family are in touch with clinics all over the world about Colin’s condition.

So far, £4,500 has been raised by well-wishers.

Monika said: “I am calling Colin my miracle as he is my godson and my husband’s godson, and we believe there is a way to save him. I would like to thank everyone who already helped us in all ways for kind words and prayers. You are amazing guys, thank you so much.”

Przemyslaw also praised the support he has received from staff at Cakes & Shakes, who are raising funds for the family.