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| Prince tells boy of his scan fear | |
| (8 minutes later) | |
| Prince William has told a seven-year-old brain tumour patient how he too was scared when he had a scan as a boy. | |
| William, now 27, told Sion Meredith, from Wrexham, how he had an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan when he was eight. | |
| Sion was one of the first patients in Europe to be treated by a £3m scanner, which the prince was officially opening at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital. | |
| The prince will also visit a centre for blind ex-service personnel in Conwy. | |
| William opened the new intra-operative 3-T MRI scanner - the first in Europe for children - on Monday. | |
| The prince said he sympathised with Sion, who was frightened and restless when he went in the noisy scanner for the first time in January last year. | |
| Sion wore a Wales rugby shirt as he chatted to the prince about football, rugby and time off school. | |
| William told him how he was scared when he had an MRI scan as a child, adding: "You are a very brave boy." | |
| He was swimming yesterday and plays football like a usual seven-year-old boy, and runs around getting really muddy Helen, Sion Meredith's mother | |
| The youngster became ill in December 2008 and was rushed to hospital. | The youngster became ill in December 2008 and was rushed to hospital. |
| His father, Dyfed, said: "He was having bouts of vomiting and headaches and we just thought it was a bug of some sort. | |
| "But when we went for a scan we found out that he had a tumour at the back of the brain and therefore needed an operation very quickly". | |
| Sion's mother, Helen, added: "We were quite distressed and very shocked because we really didn't expect it. | Sion's mother, Helen, added: "We were quite distressed and very shocked because we really didn't expect it. |
| "But we had good support from our families which made it a lot easier and Alder Hey were fantastic." | "But we had good support from our families which made it a lot easier and Alder Hey were fantastic." |
| The first operation stabilised Sion, but doctors were not able to entirely remove the tumour. | The first operation stabilised Sion, but doctors were not able to entirely remove the tumour. |
| Then, late last year, they started using a new £3m scanner which can analyse paediatric patients while they are still in surgery. | Then, late last year, they started using a new £3m scanner which can analyse paediatric patients while they are still in surgery. |
| Sion's neurosurgeon Conor Mallucci said previously he would have had to finish the operation before scanning the brain to ensure all the tumour had been removed. | Sion's neurosurgeon Conor Mallucci said previously he would have had to finish the operation before scanning the brain to ensure all the tumour had been removed. |
| Prince William meets children from the nursery as leaves Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool | |
| The new scanner allows surgeons to check they have removed 100% of the tumour before the operation is complete. | The new scanner allows surgeons to check they have removed 100% of the tumour before the operation is complete. |
| Sion's mother said her son was now able to lead a normal life. | Sion's mother said her son was now able to lead a normal life. |
| She added: "He's fantastic. He was playing tennis on Saturday in a tournament in Wrexham tennis club. | She added: "He's fantastic. He was playing tennis on Saturday in a tournament in Wrexham tennis club. |
| "He was swimming yesterday and plays football like a usual seven-year-old boy, and runs around getting really muddy." | "He was swimming yesterday and plays football like a usual seven-year-old boy, and runs around getting really muddy." |
| Prince William is currently based on Anglesey, where he is training to be a search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley. | |
| At St Dunstan's new centre for blind ex-servicemen and women in Llandudno he will meet residents, staff and supporters and view some of the activities available, including blind archery, craft work and other life skills. | At St Dunstan's new centre for blind ex-servicemen and women in Llandudno he will meet residents, staff and supporters and view some of the activities available, including blind archery, craft work and other life skills. |