A REMARKABLE woman who was diagnosed with a facial tumour six years ago has had her 10th, and hopefully last, bout of surgery.

Helen Boughen has astounded everyone with her bravery and courage ever since a simple tooth extraction in February 2004 revealed a growing cancerous tumour in her jaw.

The 23-year-old from Pontshill, near Ross-on- Wye, lost several facial bones and her left eye in an operation to remove the growth, prompting numerous operations to reconstruct her face.

Her latest bout of surgery involved a four-hour operation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham to make sure that everything was moving around properly after tissue from her arm was grafted into her cheekbone last year.

“It was a minor operation in comparison to the one she had last year, which lasted 14 hours,” said Helen’s mum Pauline.

“She may still have to have another operation if it doesn’t settle in within the next couple of months, but at least she doesn’t have to have any more major surgery.”

Despite having endured around 55 hours of surgery after being diagnosed with the tumour, Helen has fought on with life and is due to start her final year studying physics at Birmingham City University.

“She just takes everything in her stride and because she doesn’t have much feeling in the left side of her face, she doesn’t feel much pain and hardly takes any medication,” said Pauline.

“She is absolutely fine about it all and is as bright as a button.”

Helen showed her tenacity by going back to John Kyrle High School to complete her A-levels just a year after the tumour arose.

She also took part in a theatre production and gained her level eight award in the piano, which led to her being awarded a music scholarship at the university’s Birmingham Conservatoire.

“Helen still plays the piano, but not as much as she used to as she has been busy doing her exams,”

said Pauline.

“She also goes to a bridge club every Wednesday morning, which she really enjoys and is part of a charity called Blind in Business.”

Pauline added that she now hopes that Helen can now go back to a sense of normality following the latest surgery.

“She has more or less got through everything now and considering everything she has been through she has done remarkably well,”

she said.

“She will still have to go for check-ups, but at least now she can go back to doing normal things.”