Boy, 5, who kept falling over is diagnosed with incurable brain tumour

A young boy from West London who kept falling over has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable brain tumour. The family of Albie Korinek, from Acton, said the youngster began feeling tired and 'acting clumsy' which at first seemed like a minor issue. But after finding out from his teacher that Albie had been frequently zoning out in class they went to see a doctor who referred them to hospital. After a series of brain scans the family was initially told his condition, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), could be fixed with medication. "We were waiting and they came back to us and they said, 'luckily, it's something that we can just deal with using medication, we don't have to operate or anything like that,'" said Dad Alois Korinek. "We were in Isleworth by the Thames, and I just went down there and said 'thank God for that. Thank God for that'. "I was just sat by the river and it was just a blessing, saying thank you so much," he added.

But they were told there had been a mistake at the hospital and Albie instead had an incurable brain tumour. Alois added: "I was just walking home at the time and I was just screaming saying, 'no, no, no, no, no, no.' It's just honestly heartbreaking. It was awful." "The nurse or doctor who was telling us, she just started crying herself. She was just saying, 'I'm so so sorry'." The news was a second blow to the family as just a month before mum Justyna was given the devastating news that her father had passed away in Poland. Alois and Justyna have split up but following the devastating news Alois has moved back in to spend time with Albie and try to get through their "worst nightmare." The five-year-old has received 13 sessions of radiotherapy and can have more rounds in six months.

Covid restrictions meant that only one parent was able to sit with him while he underwent treatment.

However, wise-cracking Albie found a way to make Al feel better for missing the sessions. Alois recalled: "I said, 'Alright Albie, there's only one parent allowed and you chose mum.' And he said, 'Er, but that's because you need to stay at home and look after the goldfish'." Similarly, when they visited the 11th floor of University College London Hospitals, Albie told his dad: "You need to stay home because you don't like heights." The family is raising funds for experimental treatments abroad and other methods to extend Albie's life, which are not available on the NHS.

Germany offers a £5,000 per month treatment which hopes to shrink the tumour. The family is currently waiting for a biopsy report to see if Albie is eligible.

Justyna and Al are determined to do all they can to give their son the best chance at life. "I'm not giving up," said Al. He describes him as "the most amazing, funny, happy, hilarious, kid," and his "best friend by a million miles." Family and friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the treatments so that as soon as he is accepted onto a programme, they have the funds to afford to drop everything and fly him wherever he needs to go.