A brave dad who was told twice he was going to die from a brain tumour was saved when doctors took off his entire face to remove the growth - and put it back again in time for his wedding day.
Tommy Kirkland, 42, had the skin at the top of his face cut, peeled down and a quarter of his skull removed so doctors could reach the deadly lump.
The operation was the third in a series of four in which surgeons removed four tumours - the largest of which was the size of a BASEBALL - over five years.
Tommy, who suffers from a mystery condition that causes tumours to develop in his body, totted up a total of 38 hours on the operating table during the life-saving operations.
The father-of-one said he has now healed and is looking forward to marrying his fiancée Gillian Williams, 32, next month.
Tommy Kirkland in a hospital bed
Tommy, who lives in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, said: "I feel great. Doctors thought I was beyond help a couple of times but I'm still here.
"I wake up every morning happy and the fact that I am getting married soon is the icing on the cake.
"The operation where I had my face removed was a big one. There were seven specialists - one for my eyes, one to monitor my breathing and five to carry out the operation.
"It was a big shock but I had a lot of support and I am looking forward to living my life."
Tommy, a retail manager, was fit and healthy until out of the blue he began to suffer headaches and sickness in summer 2006.
He went for an MRI scan and doctors told him he had a tumour the size of a baseball in the left side of his brain and he should say goodbye to his family before an operation to remove it.
Tommy went under the knife and 14 hours later woke up to find the operation, which took place in October that year, had been a complete success.
He started on chemotherapy and thought his troubles were behind him.
But in May 2007 Tommy began to feel ill again and following an MRI scan was diagnosed with another brain tumour.
The operation was simpler and six hours later the brave dad began his recovery.
Everything ran smoothly until 2009 when doctors found yet another tumour.
Tommy was told the growth was too deep inside his brain and the chances of him surviving were slim.
But thanks to the skills of surgeons Southern General Hospital in Glasgow in March that year Tommy went under the knife for a third time in a mammoth 12 hour operation.
His entire face was removed along with the front part of his skull so doctors could remove the lump, again in the left side of his brain.
He was stitched back up and continued radiotherapy to stop any more tumours developing.
Tommy, who still bears the scars of that operation, added: "They told me that was me.
"So when they said they were going to operate I was incredibly nervous, especially when I found out what the operation involved.
"They passed tubes through my groin and through my heart and inserted things into my brain before the operation to stop it growing more and then they just got on with it."
Tommy carried on his life with radiotherapy treatment at the Beatson Clinic in Glasgow.
He returned to normal until July last year when he began to suffer sudden seizures.
To his horror doctors found another brain tumour and Tommy was rushed back into surgery for a six-hour operation in August.
He initially suffered bouts of sickness, contracting meningitis and septicaemia but the plucky Scot pulled through and celebrated his recovery by completing a 56-mile walk around the Isle of Arran on Saturday to raise money for charity.
Tommy, who has a five-year-old son, Leo, is also expecting his second child in October this year.
The brave dad, who attends support group Brain Tumour UK, added: "The best way to beat the tumours is to keep fit, keep a great attitude and enjoy life.
"Thanks to Brain Tumour UK I regained my confidence and found a new way of dealing with my illness.
"The doctors don't know what has caused my tumours. I played a lot of rugby when I was younger so that could be behind it but also my grandmother suffered from the same condition so it could be hereditary.
"I am trying to get on with my life and I want to spread the message that a brain tumour is not necessarily a death sentence. And in my case, neither is four."
Brain Tumour UK group organiser Gus Ironside said: "People affected by brain tumours can feel very isolated, so having a place to go for mutual support and to share their experiences of living with the effects of a brain tumour can be a lifeline."