LIFE has been anything but normal for toddler Ruddi Waterworth-Jones.

Diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at just seven months old, the Longwood youngster has been robbed of many of the simple pleasures most children take for granted.

Forced to undergo debilitating bouts of chemotherapy that attacked his immune system, Ruddi, now 18 months old, was unable to socialise with other children for fear that he could contract a potentially deadly virus.

So it was a small but symbolic event yesterday when he was taken to a play centre for the first time.

Ruddi, of Dale View, giggled as he made the most of his first outing to the Fizzy Lizard play gym, at Cathedral House in Folly Hall.

Mum Ali, 38, said: “There were times when we thought we might never be able to do this, so it’s a big thing.”

Ruddi had been perfectly healthy before he started to experience problems going to the toilet when he was seven months old.

His GP treated him for constipation, teething problems and even asthma before Ali decided to take him to hospital.

He was eventually diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue.

Only 60 children a year are found to have the disease in the UK.

Ruddi had to have his bladder and prostate removed because of a tumour growing on his prostate.

Despite a successful operation, doubts remained about the risk of the disease returning.

In December Ruddi became the first British baby to be sent to the USA for advanced proton therapy treatment.

Proton therapy involves firing a beam of protons at tumours so they receive a very high dose of radiation without damaging surrounding tissue. It is much more accurate than radiotherapy.

Ruddi, Ali, Ruddi’s sister Ellys and his dad Craig Waterworth, returned from Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of last month.

“Ruddi was an absolute star,” Ali said.

“It has been a horrible year, it’s left me financially ruined, but the reason we went was to cure Ruddi and I’d do it again.”

Ruddi is now in remission, meaning there are currently no active signs of the cancer in his body, but that there remains a risk of the disease returning.

He will have to have chest x-rays every month to monitor his progress. It will be five years before he can be given the all-clear.

“We’ve been told that, as the months go by, the risk of it returning will decrease,” Ali said.

At the moment Ruddi must wear a urostomy bag because he cannot go to the toilet himself. Doctors hope to be able to reconstruct his bladder at some point.

Tragically, he will never be able to father children naturally.

But Ali said she was looking forward to the future and to watching Ruddi learning to do things other healthy children do naturally.

“He’s walking now and his hair is growing, which might seem like a stupid little thing but is really important to us,” she said.

“There have been lots of changes – his appetite is growing and he’s got lots more energy than before.

“We’ve been told he will catch up with other kids.

“I want him to have the best in life – from the best pair of socks to the best everything.”

Ali thanked all the friends, family, businesses, schools and medical staff who have supported the Ruddi appeal.