A boy who developed a grapefruit-sized tumour on his spine while in the womb has defied doctors' expectations to survive.
Harry Morris, now six months old, could have been aborted when his parents Maria, 27, and Jack, 25, found out about the growth on his back.
Ultrasound scans showed he had a huge teratoma tumour growing out of his body, but Mrs Morris refused to have a termination after it was suggested by a doctor.
Born by caesarean section in October, two months premature, Harry had to have a nine-hour operation to remove the tumour – which was never cancerous – but he has since recovered.
Jack and Maria Morris were told their son, Harry, was not likely to survive because he was found to have a giant non-cancerous tumour growing out of his back while he was in the womb
Harry (pictured in hospital as a newborn) was diagnosed with a teratoma, a type of tumour which is made up of various undeveloped human tissues including hair, skin and teeth
Mrs Morris, from Leigh in Wigan, Greater Manchester, had gone for a scan to try and find out the sex of their baby but were shocked to find out much more sinister news.
When it revealed the large tumour growing from the baby boy's tailbone, she was advised to terminate the pregnancy.
The tumour was so large it was pressing on his internal organs, restricting his blood flow and putting extra pressure on his heart and leaving him with slim survival odds.
'Harry's tumour was nearly as big as him when we saw it on the scan,' she said. 'I was so shocked.
'The midwife referred me to a specialist who basically said there was no hope for the baby as they were worried about the strain the tumour could be putting on his heart.
'They then advised that termination may be the best option, so it wasn't a great start to the pregnancy at all.'
A teratoma is a tumour made up of germ cells which are formed while a person is developing in the womb.
Some 98 per cent of the tumours are benign, meaning they aren't cancerous.
Because they are created from embryo cells which have the potential to turn into any type of human tissues, teratomas can contain fully formed teeth, hair, nails and skin.
They most commonly develop on the ovaries, testicles or tailbone, but can grow elsewhere in the body.
Teratomas growing from the tailbone are the most common type of tumour found in newborns and infants, although they are still rare, occurring in around one in 35-40,000 babies.
Symptoms of these can include constipation, problems urinating, abdominal pain, swelling and leg weakness.
Although not cancerous, large benign tumours can cause serious problems if they take up space inside the body and crush vital organs and blood vessels.
Most teratoma tumours can be removed with surgery when they are discovered. People with smaller tumours may not be diagnosed until adulthood.
Source: Healthline
Although Harry's tumour wasn't cancerous – only around two per cent of teratomas are – it was so large it was getting in the way of his development.
Teratomas, which are most common in the tailbone, ovaries and testicles, are tumours which grow from germ cells, which are cells produced by
