A couple from the U.K. are praying for a miracle after learning their little boy's adorable smile was hiding a deadly condition.
Wesley Lacey, 28, told The Sun that his 3-year-old son Jack's "crooked" smile didn't concern him, at first.
"We didn't take any notice because it was gradual, we just thought it was funny, but this is his new smile," he said. Jack's parents just guessed he was "seeing someone smiling like that and copying."
Other symptoms - walking with outstretched arms, blinking frequently, and suffering night terrors - led Lacey and his wife Rebecca Oldham, 29, to seek help
Doctors soon discovered Jack had an aggressive brain tumor, diagnosing him with the very severe form of childhood cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
The tumor, which sits on Jack's brainstem, is dangerous and difficult to treat. While Jack has only experienced symptoms for a few weeks, doctors say the tumor has been growing for several months.
The toddler is undergoing radiation treatments and chemotherapy, but doctors have given Jack a year or even less to live.
Lacey told The Sun he and his wife were "broken" by the prognosis.
"The news has been the darkest time of our lives," he said, "I can't even begin to think about him not being there. He hasn't got any relatives who have passed away, there's no one waiting for him."
In the hope of making the most of their time together, Jack's parents have started a GoFundMe page, both to cover Jack's funeral costs and to make happy memories with him on fun day trips.
Wesley says that Jack "never stops talking, joking, and will play his little heart out, even when sick," so hopefully the time he has left will be happy and carefree.
Visit the family's GoFundMe page to support Jack during his cancer battle.
[H/T: The Sun]
