Winter wonderland in Spain for Leo the Lion

CHRISTMAS came early to Almeria for Leo the Lion who is battling a rare form of brain cancer.

Family and close friends of Leo Bermejo pulled out all the stops so that the four-year-old could see snow for the first time, despite it being a warm September day in sunny southern Spain.

There was a life-size singing Santa, carol singers, turkey and trimmings, a Christmas tree, presents and balloons – but the icing on the cake was a special appearance by Elsa and Olaf from Frozen who performed for the brave  little fighter and his sister Sofia.

Mum Karen said, “We cannot thank people enough for all of the Christmas items that people have lent us.”

She added, “It was fabulous. I did not feel any sadness at all.

“It is three weeks since the last scan and he still looks really well.

“Maybe a miracle can happen.”

Over the past two years little Leo the Lion, has undergone surgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in the UK and travelled to Oklahoma in the States.

His supporters raised thousands of euros for the cutting-edge treatment in a campaign that was regularly featured by the Euro Weekly News.

But after Leo’s last MRI scan three-weeks-ago it was discovered a tumour was still there – and growing fast.

The family were been told that the bigger the tumour gets the faster it grows, as cells are dividing and reproducing.

After reviewing the scan results in the UK top brain surgeon Conor Malucci told the heart-broken family that he feels that it is too dangerous to perform any more operations.

Karen said, She added, “As hard as it is we have to come to the realisation that we cannot save Leo now. His fate is out of our hands.”

FROZEN: Leo and Sofia with Elsa and Olaf