A little boy who spent his first Christmas having chemotherapy is now battling eye cancer for the second time.

Lenny Gleeson’s parents, from Cliftonville, were dealt a “crushing blow” when they were told the 16-month-old’s retinoblastoma had returned, just two weeks after they rang the remission bell.

The rare cancer, which affects the retina, runs in families, with Lenny’s dad Jack, 28, losing an eye to the disease.

The little boy’s mum, Georgina Huckstepp, told KentOnline: “They tested his cord at birth for the same gene Jack has.

“Two weeks later they told us he had it. It was so horrible, just the anxiety of waiting.

“We had to go up to Royal London, he was put to sleep, he had his eyes checked and he had tumours growing already at two weeks old.”

Lenny then had to go through almost a year of gruelling treatments.

Ms Huckstepp, 28, who works at a BP garage, said: “Chemotherapy was the worst. It was just over Christmas as well.

“He had constant sickness, and all the side effects of chemo. It didn't even feel like Christmas because it was just horrible.”

In July this year, Lenny’s family rang the remission bell after they were told he had no active tumour cells.

But their joy was short-lived, as just two weeks later doctors discovered his retinoblastoma had returned.

“There was a chance of always relapsing but we didn't think it would be that quick”, his mum said.

“Two weeks he had - from ringing that bell until and then going back to Royal London.

“He went for a check-up and they said he had more tumours growing. It was just crazy.

“It was a crushing blow. Especially for our other kids as well. We told them that he had got better.”

Lenny’s siblings, Lily, seven, and Ronnie, four, have to sleep at friends' and family’s houses while their parents stay in London overnight during his hospital stays.

It costs the couple more than £100 to get there, and they often miss work, while forking out on hotel rooms.

‘It didn't even feel like Christmas because it was just horrible...’

A GoFundMe page has been set up by friend Katie Slinger to help pay for the travel costs.

Ms Slinger writes: “This is taking a toll on the whole family.

“Lenny’s brilliant mum needs to be at home to take care of him as he can't just go off to nursery like a normal baby of his age.

“Anything we can raise will go towards trying to make life as easy as it can for them now with multiple trips to London and anything Lenny may need.”

Despite his health issues, the youngster is a “cheeky, bubbly, happy baby”, Ms Huckstepp says.

He is currently undergoing cryotherapy, which uses extreme cold to kill cancer cells and causes painful swelling. If that treatment does not work, he will need to have chemotherapy injections into his eyes.

Doctors are hopeful that Lenny’s eyesight can be saved as they have caught the disease early.

Retinoblastoma affects children and impacts one in 15,000 to 20,000 kids.

Mr Gleeson’s retinoblastoma was not noticed until he was two years old, and the lifeguard is now blind in one eye. It was picked up in a flash photograph, as white dots appeared in his eyes instead of the usual red.

The NHS lists a white glow or white reflection in the centre of the eye as a main symptom.

Mr Gleeson and Ms Huckstepp are urging parents to look out for this in pictures of their children.