Son Pham, the Vietnamese boy afflicted with a large facial tumour who's made Halifax his temporary home, is now halfway through his surgeries and looking noticeably better.

The then 10-year-old boy was found living in an orphanage north of Hanoi. In 2007, with the support of a Canadian children's charity, he came to Toronto looking for help.

The massive growth on his face — caused by an abnormal buildup of blood vessels — made tasks such as talking and eating difficult for Son.

Timeline: Son Pham's surgery

At the time, he spoke through a translator, saying he hoped doctors could operate, because he wanted to be a normal little boy.

Canadians donated thousands of dollars, but after assessing Son's condition, doctors at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital refused to do surgery, saying the birth mark was not life threatening.

He then travelled to Boston where a team of doctors agreed to help.

Growth shrinks, boy thrives

After six procedures and four surgeries, the growth is significantly reduced in size. Doctors describe his progress as slow but steady.

Son is now 12 and speaks fluent English, but the growth still makes it difficult for him to enunciate.

"I feel before, it [was] not very good," Son said. "Now it feels better."

"My cheek is getting smaller and my lip, it's smaller a little."

Son lives with a family in Halifax while he continues treatment in Boston. He is living an active life, playing badminton with friends and enjoying the company of his pet dog, but he still has more surgeries to go.

"We would expect that approximately 85 to 90 per cent of the growth that he initially started with will be removed," said his guardian, Olwyn Walter of Halifax. "So that's pretty exciting."

At Thoi Bao, a Vietnamese newspaper based in Toronto, staff were anxious to see Son's progress in the latest pictures showing the smaller growth and his lips.

"I think when my readers see the pictures, they will be happy," said editor Nghi Do. "They will be happy, and [they'll] know that they made a difference, helping him."

'A normal, healthy, active life'

Son is also being watched by families whose children have the same condition. For many of them, his story offers hope.

'There are options for him, both medically and with the long-term social implications, that he can have a normal, healthy, active life under the right medical care.'—Karla Hall, National Organization of Vascular Anomalies

"I think children seeing Son's case and parents seeing Son's case can look at this and say that, you know, my child doesn't have to keep this tumour on his face," said Karla Hall of the National Organization of Vascular Anomalies in Toledo, Ohio.

"There are options for him, both medically and with the long-term social implications, that he can have a normal, healthy, active life under the right medical care."

Children's Bridge Foundation, which is sponsoring Son, is now back in fundraising mode. They need to raise an additional $60,000 to finish all of his surgeries.

Son hopes to return to Vietnam by next fall.