Boy, 6, with a grapefruit-sized tumour in his eye socket is saved by generous locals who paid for his life-changing surgery

  • Crowdfunding effort in a rural village in China funded Li Zhenglu's operation 
  • Doctors previously said the child's aggressive growth was 'incurable'
  • Locals in Yanggu County in Shandong Province donated 150,000 yuan (£17,081)
  • Now the child is well enough to return home and can even attend nursery school

An incredible crowdfunding effort in a rural village in China has helped pay for the removal of a giant grapefruit-sized tumour from a boy's eye socket.

Doctors tasked with treating Li Zhenglu, aged six, had previously said the aggressive small cell malignant tumour was 'incurable' and accused the boy's parents of 'waiting too long.'

But the child, from Yanggu County in the country's eastern Shandong Province, has since made a miraculous recovery following donations towards his surgery totalling more than 150,000 yuan (£17,081).

Now he is well enough to return home and can even attend nursery school and is set to go to primary school in his hometown.

Money had poured in from local villagers since May, when Zhenglu's plight made headlines in China and abroad.

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An amazing crowdfunding effort in a rural village in China has funded Li Zhenglu's operation

An amazing crowdfunding effort in a rural village in China has funded Li Zhenglu's operation

Doctors previously said the child's aggressive growth was 'incurable'

Doctors previously said the child's aggressive growth was 'incurable'

Now after locals in Yanggu County in Shandong Province donated 150,000 yuan (£17,081) Li has had surgery

Now after locals in Yanggu County in Shandong Province donated 150,000 yuan (£17,081) Li has had surgery

'I'm very grateful to the donors' 

Li's parents said he had his right eye amputated following a playground accident in 2016.

According to local reports, without the financial means to continue his post-op treatment, an infection set in and the tumours began growing in March this year.

The cluster developed to the size of a grapefruit in a matter of weeks and covered nearly half the boy's face.

The cause and nature of Li's condition is not immediately clear as infections are not reported to cause cancer in the medical literature.

The boy and his mother and father pictured before the life-saving operation

The boy and his mother and father pictured before the life-saving operation

Li recovering after his surgery to remove the grapefruit-sized tumour from his eye 

Li recovering after his surgery to remove the grapefruit-sized tumour from his eye 

Doctors at the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University in provincial capital Jinan were reportedly furious that Zhenglu's parents had waited months to bring his case to their attention, saying 'not even the gods' could treat the boy.

However, thanks to the generous donations, the boy's family were able to afford having the growths surgically removed.

Images of Li today show a striking contrast to the state of his health just six months earlier.

Li's father says thanks to the fundraising appeal the family can afford a new home

Li's father says thanks to the fundraising appeal the family can afford a new home

The boy's father said the donations not only allowed for his treatment, they were also enough to help the family build a brand-new home.

'I'm very grateful to the donors,' he said.

When asked whether he was happy to be going to school again, Li answered like any child would, saying: 'Sometimes I feel like going; sometimes I don't.'

GIRL, 6, LEFT BLINDED AND IN AGONY WITH PROTRUDING EYES AS SHE BATTLES CANCER

A six-year-old girl in India suffering from cancer has been left blinded and in agony with protruding and bleeding eyes. 

The heartbreaking pictures of Dhanika Tripura show how extreme her condition has become in just six weeks.

Her desperate parents are now pleading for help after their 'healthy' and 'joyful' daughter deteriorated after suddenly suffering with itchy eyes in November.

This heartbreaking picture of Dhanika Tripura show how extreme her condition is

This heartbreaking picture of Dhanika Tripura show how extreme her condition is

Dhanika was taken to several local doctors in her remote village but they have just basic facilities and she was just given painkillers, paracetamol and anti-allergy tablets, and sent home.

The family, from a small village in Tripura, north-eastern India, could not afford to get her specialist help – and the girl's prognosis looked extremely poor.

Now a charity has stepped in to help, but medics face a race against time and her chance of survival is only about 10 per cent. Dhanika's parents still need further funds.

To help Dhanika, you can donate here.

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