HE has been through more in his 16 years than most people do in a lifetime.

Tom Molyneux has beaten cancer once, is battling the disease again and lives with a host of serious conditions every day.

He faces an uncertain future, but is determined to enjoy this Christmas after spending the last festive seasons in and out of hospital.

Tom said: “I’m looking forward to spending Christmas with my family — it will definitely be better than last year.

“It’s annoying being ill, and the worst thing is not being able to go out with my mates.”

He added: “My message to others going through similar things is not to take it too seriously, keep a sense of humour.

“As long as you’ve got your family around you, you’ll be all right.”

Tom’s parents, Karen and Roy, of Hibernia Street, Deane, say the way the teenager copes is an inspiration.

Mrs Molyneux, aged 52, said: “We are very proud of him, he has been brilliant and has such a great attitude.

“He has never moaned, he just gets on and we look at the funny side of it — you’ve got to have a laugh and a joke.

“Christmas was cancelled last year, so we are going to have a better one this year.”

Tom lives with chronic bronchial asthma, scoliosis — curvature of the spine, and neurofibromatosis, which causes tumours on nerve tissue, which can be cancerous and lead to learning difficulties and behavioural problems.

At the age of five, he was diagnosed with Monosomy 7, a pre-leukaemia condition, but he was successfully treated with bone marrow from his eldest brother, Lee, now aged 27.

Tom, a former Ladybridge High School pupil, is now schooled at home.

He is fighting cancer again after two schwannoma tumours formed on his spine.

The bottom tumour has been removed, but doctors have been unable to get rid of the one at the top.

It was treated with chemotherapy in March and April and radiotherapy in June, and is now believed to dormant.

Tom, who lives with his parents and brother Jack, aged 18, is confined to a wheelchair and sleeps in a bed in the family’s front room, with his mother on the sofa nearby.

Mrs Molyneux, who has three other sons, Adam, aged 19, Daniel, aged 22, and Lee, said: “The tumour has not shrunk or grown, so we hope it has been frozen.

“The doctors have done what they can, so we will have to see what happens. We hope it will stay dormant.

“Tom is on daily medication, faces check-ups every three months and will never be given the all clear.”

The family have thanked Ladybridge High School, their neighbours and cancer charity CLIC Sargent for their support.