Doctors thought boy's tumours were bruises from bullies - now his best friend is trying to keep him alive

Doctors thought boy's tumours were bruises from bullies - now his best friend is trying to keep him alive EXCLUSIVE: Masion Turner-Potter, 11, has a 20 per cent chance of survival but his best friend Oscar Steers is raising thousands to explore potentially life-saving treatment options A young boy left broken when he was told his best friend has stage four cancer has raised more than £65,000 to help him get better - after doctors originally dismissed his tumours as bruising from cruel bullies. Masion Turner-Potter is fighting for his life after he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, two months ago. He is currently under-going gruelling chemotherapy after medics finally discovered a mass in his leg. Further tests showed the cancer had spread to the 11-year-old's groin, chest and spine. His family had to battle for answers after being told the marks on their son's body were down to being picked on, and they soon discovered the harrowing news that he has just a 20 per cent chance of survival. While, of course, Masion and his family's ordeal is front and centre of the minds of everyone in Chichester, West Sussex, cancer doesn't just impact those that it directly strikes. Little Oscar Steers, 10, moved to the area from Chertsey, Surrey, when he was five years old and straight away forged an incredible bond with Masion, who he met on his first day of school. His world has been turned upside down by his best mate's battle - so he decided he had to do something to help. With the support of his mum Ellie, Oscar set about trying to raise £1,000 via his JustGiving page by running a mile every day for 30 days and hoped locals would sponsor him, with all money raised enabling Masion to find the best potentially life-saving treatment available. He smashed his target within minutes as well-wishers backed his fight to help keep his friend alive. Now he's thinking about what else he can do so they can explore costly groundbreaking treatment only available overseas. Oscar told us: "Masion was my very first friend when I moved school, so he’s always been really special to me. When I found out how poorly he was, I just wanted to do something to help him. "I love knowing that Masion watches my videos and smiles because that makes me happy too. I know I can’t make him better, but if I can make him smile and show him how many people care about him, that means so much to me. I’m sad my 30 days are over, but this isn’t the end. I will always help Masion and always be there for him. I love him so much!" His mum Ellie said the cute pair's friendship was born on their first day at school and they have been inseparable ever since. They are thankful the school pressured the hospital into looking into Masion's struggling health after his parents' concerns were ignored. "Oscar didn't know anyone in this area when we moved here, Masion was his first friend," she said. "They are both very quiet boys, and have remained so close ever since. He has never forgotten that he's the one who made him feel so welcome. He was his friend when he didn't know anyone. "He said his body hurt. They [the doctors] thought his pain was due to the bullies and the bruises they had left on his body - they refused him so many times. Because Masion also has autism, they said he was just showing autistic traits and refused to look into it. "It was the school who pushed the matter, saying he was not acting like a normal child should, his breathing was off and he wasn't right. The hospital said they're only going to look into this as his school had said something. That's when they found out he had stage four cancer and he had tumours all over his body. They're doing everything they can and we're all keeping as positive as possible for them." Oscar wanted to do something and thanks to the power of social media, his 30-day Miles For Masion challenge has grown legs. He's had pledges from all around the world after doing more than a marathon inside a month and with more ideas being talked about, there could be even more fundraising to come. "Oscar doesn't like running, just like his mum!" Ellie said. "So to do it in the middle of not one but two heatwaves, and for him to want to be out there doing it everyday, just makes us so proud. "His heart hurts in a way no child's should. I just made the page so it would give Masion something to watch and so he would smile. But overnight it just blew up. "He knows enough about what's going on. His friends have mobile phones, we've tried to shield him from it as much as we can. He actually said to me 'mummy I know you want to protect me, but I want you to be honest with me' so I have made that promise to him. It's so incredibly hard to navigate." Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of soft tissue sarcoma which usually only impacts young children and sometimes teenagers. It’s more common in boys than girls. It usually forms in the head, neck, bladder, or genital areas. "We're explaining things to a ten-year-old that you really shouldn't have to," the mum said. "The good news is that the chemo he is on is working, but there are a number of tumours they are really concerned about. There's one on his spine that could paralise him. He's not responding well to the chemo, he is really struggling and he is back in hospital now. "He should be out playing football and making memories on holiday, not in hospital and not living in fear. Oscar knows one mile a day is nothing compared to the fight Masion is facing - we say just prove those statistics wrong." Masion's mum Karren is thankful her son has such an incredible support network - and an amazing friend like Oscar. "The last seven weeks have turned our world completely upside down," she said. "To go from Masion having a limp to finding out he has stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma is something no family could ever expect or be prepared for. "We are so incredibly grateful for Oscar and his family. What they have done for Masion has brought so much happiness during a time when the world can feel like such a dark place. I could never put into words how grateful and loved they have made us feel. "Our family love watching Oscar’s videos, and Masion loves watching them too. Seeing his smile and knowing he is thinking of Masion means more to us than they will ever know."