LITTLE Joshua Westwell will finally have his life-saving operation at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, tomorrow.

Joshua, who will be two on Wednesday, will be in the intensive care unit immediately after his operation to remove a tumour which has eaten up 85 per cent of his liver.

The toddler's parents Paul Westwell and Karen Skinner, from Bacup, face an agonising three hour wait tomorrow while surgeons find out if the tumour is operable.

Joshua has been undergoing chemotherapy since the cancer was diagnosed after his routine 18 month check.

His operation has been cancelled twice, but the family were heading to the hospital today with fingers crossed that the operation will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow.

If surgeons find the tumour can be operated on, Joshua will face a further six-and-a-half hours of surgery and then several days in intensive care.

Paul and Karen have an eight-month-old daughter Chloe who will also be going to the hospital with them, to help take Karen's mind off the operation.

Once Joshua gets back home, his parents are planning to celebrate his birthday, although he was given a few presents to open today before he went into hospital.

The family is planning a celebration holiday next year to Euro Disney in Paris.