An 11-year-old boy from Manchester has made medical history after becoming the first child in the UK to undergo a mastectomy.
Lewis Deakin, who suffers from arteriovenus malformation - a rare condition which causes benign tumours to grow on his body, has endured 15 surgeries over the past two years.
Recently, however, the youngster, who was diagnosed with the condition three years ago, had a mastectomy at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to remove his right pectoral muscle - a first for a child in the UK.
Describing her son's condition to The Telegraph, his mother Victoria said: “It was a really big lump on his chest and it even stretched out his clothes.”
“He is the only child in the country that has had a mastectomy. As he gets bigger they will be able to reconstruct his chest.”
Clearly proud of her brave son, she added: “He was a bit daunted by it all at first and he wouldn’t show anyone the scar. But now he tells all the girls at school ‘I’ve been bitten by a shark’. He says it’s a real pulling machine!”
While his surgery was his success, unfortunately, it’s not over for the schoolboy, who requires regular checks.
Victoria said: “You would look at Lewis and think there is nothing wrong with him but there’s a lot wrong unfortunately.”
“I don’t think people really know about this condition. The only charity I have come across is AVM Survivors. There’s no awareness or advice for people living with it except on Facebook.”
