BRAVE toddler Joshua Westwell was getting ready for an extra special Christmas today after doctors told his family -- Your son's cancer is cured.

Joshua had the life-saving operation to remove part of his diseased liver on his second birthday in September.

But today his parents Paul and Karen were told the battling toddler has been given the all clear.

Karen, of Lee Road, Bacup, said: "He has been given the all clear -- he is absolutely disease free!"

Joshua's liver which had been shrunk by courses of chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with cancer.

He amazed doctors after surgery with his quick recovery and was able to return home after just five days when the normal recuperation period was ten.

On Monday he went back to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury for his final scans and test results.

Karen said: "He still has the line into his chest underneath his arm which they used to use to feed the chemotherapy drugs into him and we have an appointment to have it removed on December 19 but they have said that may get put back if there are other more urgent jobs.

"They did see a slight shadow on his lungs but it is believed that is just a scar and they are confident it is nothing more serious.

"We are all looking forward to the future."

It was at his routine 18-month check that Joshua's problems were spotted and he was sent for tests first to Burnley General Hospital and then on to Pendlebury for chemotherapy and finally surgery.

His operation was cancelled three times before finally going ahead on the toddler's second birthday.

On one occasion the hospital told his parents they did not have enough staff in theatre to go through with the operation.

While he was undergoing six hours of surgery the doctors kept coming out of the theatre to tell Karen and boyfriend Paul how Joshua was doing.

They had been told from the start the surgery could save his life and were distraught when the operations were cancelled.

Now they are planning the best ever Christmas for their family.

The family are also looking forward to their first proper holiday in Disneyland Paris in the Spring.

Last month Joshua's sister Chloe was Christened at St Saviour's Church, Bacup, and this week she started walking at just ten-and-a-half months.