Heartbreak as mum told son has just months to live days before ninth birthday

EXCLUSIVE: Heartbreak as mum told son has just months to live days before ninth birthday EXCLUSIVE: Robin Correia, eight, has been given less than a year to live by doctors after he was diagnosed with DIPG, a fast-acting and incredibly rare type of brain tumour Eight-year-old Star Wars fanatic Robin Correia is the treasure of his tight-knit family - but has just months left to live. A few weeks ago, doctors told Robin's parents he may have only nine to 12 months after they discovered he has DIPG, a fast-acting and incredibly rare type of brain tumour. The tumour is so severe that plucky Robin will likely lose his vision, mobility, eating, swallowing, and his hard-earned ability to speak as it progresses. Mum Jessie Correia, 31, from Surrey, first noticed something was wrong when Robin’s right eye began to turn inwards involuntarily at random intervals - and spotted his foot was turning in and scraping along the floor as he walked. His double vision and walking difficulties were initially dismissed as being linked to his pre-existing special educational needs - but after an ex-GP family member advised to get him seen immediately, multiple appointments at Southampton General revealed the cancerous tumour. MRI scans showed it was fast-paced and incurable. Robin, who was diagnosed with a developmental language disorder when he was very young, only began speaking confidently around three years ago - making the loss of his abilities in the months ahead especially painful for mum-of-three Jessie, 31. Jessie told the Mirror: "It's the worst news any parent can hear. "When we were told that he'll probably lose the ability to speak, that really killed me because he's worked so hard to be able to speak, and we've only had him speaking for about three years." Robin, described by his mum as the "absolute heart" of his family, is an older brother to five-year-old sister Sienna, and 17-month-old Eve. For the moment, Jessie has been so focused on making Robin comfortable ahead of his upcoming radiography that she has barely been able to process the news - but admits there are moments that bring home the devastating reality. The mum said: "I have definitely hit a wall where I try to disassociate it with being Robin because if I start thinking about that, I know I'll just break and I can't do that. "But sometimes I can't. We were on our way to Paultons Park last week and they were going, 'Mummy, when Robin's 15 how old will I be?'" "I was trying to answer, but my husband had to step in - because it's obviously going to get to an age where Sienna will always be older than Robin." Mum Jessie is determined to make Robin's last months full of all the things he loves, and together with aunt Jenny has begun a bucket list of experiences made just for him. They are planning a Star Wars-themed party for his ninth birthday at the end of November, which will include all his best friends, actors in costume, and themed food. Robin's favourite character is Anakin Skywalker, though he is also a big fan of Captain Rex. He loves building elaborate spaceships out of Lego, and is especially fond of playing with his green Toy Story army soldiers, keeping his little army in a special tin that he takes "everywhere". This week, he will pay a visit to an RAF site, where he will take a ride on a helicopter and see an air traffic control room in action. Also on the near horizon is a day’s experience as a zookeeper at Colchester Zoo, as well as a trip to a wildlife park in Belgium, where he will stay in a lodge next to a brown bear and wolf enclosure. This will be followed by a night in an underwater room, with sharks swimming in a tank around the family. Alongside this, the family are planning a private, before-hours experience at the Lego Store in Leicester Square so he can pick out toys - while they are hoping to take Robin to Disneyland Paris to set up a meeting with Star Wars stormtroopers in person. Jessie added: "No words can describe how amazing this child is. He has overcome so much with his SEND needs and then being an older brother. "Even when he's going through stuff, if the moment he sees someone upset or hurt, Robin is right there trying to comfort them. He just wants to be everyone's friend. "It's just the happiness and joy he brings to people - he would have made such an amazing adult." Jenny Crone, Robin's aunt, set up a GoFundMe page with her sister Jules just days after the eight-year-old diagnosis - and has already raised over £20,000 to pay towards memorable experiences for Robin and his sisters. She said: "We can't believe how much it's raised and how much it means we're going to be able to do for them... it restores your faith in humanity that actually there's really kindhearted, lovely people out there that just want to help a little boy."