KIND-HEARTED staff at an optician have helped to make a terminally ill boy’s Christmas by giving him the gift he always dreamed of.

Jamie Ancill, 12, was diagnosed with a childhood brain tumour after Whiteley Specsavers director Lee Johnston discovered last year that he had swollen optic nerves.

He underwent two brain surgeries and spent almost two weeks in paediatric intensive care unit, before having chemotherapy and radiotherapy over six months.

The brave boy was chosen as one of those to benefit from Big Christmas Give, with staff at Specsavers presenting him with a special pass to Legoland and a big box of Lego.

His mum Emily said: "I was really overwhelmed and I cried when they told me. I thought it was incredibly kind of them to think of Jamie. I knew that Jamie would be very grateful and excited when he found out.

"He’s going to love the trip to Legoland. To be able to experience something like this will definitely make his day. He will be one very excited and happy little boy.

"I think it’s extremely important for Jamie to experience the best of what life has to offer and to do everything he wants with the time he has left."

Emily said the staff at Specsavers Whiteley have always shown "tremendous compassion" to her and Jamie, never more so than when he was in hospital to remove the large tumour in his cerebellum.

Her own glasses had broken during that time, so the store had some more made up for her the same day and delivered them to the hospital, along with sweets and chocolate for Jamie.

She added: "I can’t tell you what that meant to me at that moment. I sobbed with relief because it was one last thing I didn’t need to think of and it meant I could concentrate on Jamie and his recovery. They’ve been so incredibly supportive and have helped wherever possible.

"If it wasn’t for the staff diagnosing Jamie when they did, his life might have been cut shorter than it already is. What they did was to give me precious time and gave Jamie a little longer to experience more of life."

Lee Johnston, a director at the Specsavers Whiteley store, said that he can think of no more deserving people than Emily and Jamie to benefit from Specsavers’ Big Christmas Give scheme.

He said: "Jamie is the bravest little boy I know. He and his mother have been through so much, and yet they are always so positive and optimistic.

"We wanted to make Jamie and Emily smile and be aware that while we help them, they also help us by being so inspiring. They really do deserve the chance to feel celebrated and, hopefully, the time at Legoland will give them an amazing break."