BRAVE little Maddox Tallowin could owe his life to a lucky haircut.

Parents Ben and Barbie, of Kirby Cross, gave the tot a trim and discovered suspicious-looking lumps on the back of his head.

They took him to the doctor’s and were horrified to find out it was a tell-tale sign of leukaemia.

Blood tests confirmed their worst fears and the two-year-old was rushed into Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.

Mr Tallowin, 32, said: “It was more luck than anything else we found it.

“Maddox had a Mohawk haircut. We decided to cut it off on the spur of the moment because it was getting a bit long and we found a couple of bumps just above his spine and neck area.

“It didn’t look right, so we took him to the doctor, who said he wasn’t too sure and sent him off for blood tests.

“The results came back almost immediately and there were problems with his white bloodcells.

“Twenty-four hours later, we were in Addenbrooke’s.”

Maddox was connected up to drips and tubes and put on a course of chemotherapy to fight the leukaemia.

He spent four months in Addenbrooke’s, celebrating his third birthday and Christmas in hospital, before being allowed home.

But the youngster still has to make the long trip to Cambridge several times a week for treatment.

The treatment also destroyed his immune system, leaving him open to bugs and infections, which means he is in hospital almost every day. He will need chemotherapy for three years.

The endless hospital visits are also taking their toll on cabbie Ben and Barbie, of Beverley Drive. They have juggled their jobs around the hospital appointments and caring for one-year-old daughter Elise.

Ben said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare – one of the worst things you could ever experience.

“But Maddox has always got a smile on his face. Luckily, both our families are very close by and they’ve helped us out a lot.

“Our friends have all helped out as much as they can, so we’re really grateful.”

Pal, Tammy Ross, 32, of Greenway, Frinton, has organised an auction to help the cash-strapped family.

Prizes include photos signed by the Arsenal team, Simon Cowell and stars from EastEnders and Coronation Street, as well as tickets to Colchester Zoo.

The fundraising auction is at Clacton’s Warwick Arms pub on May 16 at 2pm. To help, e-mail maddox-tallowin@hotmail.co.uk