ROSS Gerrard was just 21 months old when his parents became worried about his health.
Mum Joanne, of Mozart Close, Radford, said: "He had a pink lump on his head – his hair was very fair so we could notice it. He was unwell and a bit lethargic."
After another lump appeared, Ross was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre, where blood tests and a biopsy eventually established he had leukaemia.
Treatment began straight away due to the severity of the illness.
Joanne said: "It was very serious – this was very aggressive; they needed to attack it as soon as possible."
Ross had three bouts of chemotherapy and his parents were eventually informed that he would need a bone marrow transplant.
Ross's brother, Cadin, who was five at the time, was a 90 per cent match and became his donor.
Joanne, 42, said: "It's a horrible process. You are put under and have two consultants making holes in the back of your pelvis. It is quite painful."
She added: "Ross's growth has been badly affected. It does not faze him, though, he's a sweetheart."
Joanne welcomed a drug that could help even a few people avoid the operation.
"It would be amazing if it saves children going through what Ross has been through," she added.