These emotional pictures show the true extent of a tumour-related condition an eight-year-old boy has to endure.

Amare Stover is cruelly called a ‘monster’ by bullies because he was born with neurofibromatosis type one (NF1).

In addition to changing the appearance of his face, he has severe learning difficulties and his swellings have left him blind in one eye.

Doctors have warned that he may eventually lose his sight completely unless he has an operation soon as the masses continue to grow.

His mother Kandice Stover, 30, from Decatur, Alabama, says that her son faces stigma every day because of the genetic disorder.

She added: ‘He has tumours all over his head, there are a lot of them and they have grown to be very large, which has affected his facial appearance in the process.

‘The size of them affects him a lot, he gets made fun of, gets stares from people whenever he goes out in public and has been called a “monster”.

‘Some of the children won’t play with him or say he is “ugly”, which makes it really hard, I don’t understand why people can’t just be kind.

‘Some adults have asked him where he got his “mask” from, it’s really very hurtful and it only gets worse around Halloween.

‘I tell him that he is just like any other eight-year-old and tell him not to worry because some people can be unkind.

‘In my eyes, he’s a very normal eight-year-old, he goes through a lot but you would never know it — he runs around, loves sports and plays just like any other child his age.’

When he was born, Amare’s left eye was a little swollen. After taking him to the doctor, he was found to have glaucoma and NF1.

A neurologist almost immediately started working to reduce pressure on his eye, caused by tumours surrounding his eye socket.

During an MRI to monitor the growth of his tumours, Amare suddenly stopped breathing.

He had to be fitted with a permanent trach tube because the tumours grew into his throat and risked blocking his airway.

Ms Stover said: ‘Doctors gave him a trach tube because they thought one day he might stop breathing in his sleep.

‘Before he used to snore badly, which was caused by him struggling for breath because of the tumours.’

Despite having multiple laser treatments, his left eye has now swollen completely shut and now he can only see slightly out of the other.

With his sight quickly worsening in his right eye, doctors have told this family to prepare for what may come.

Ms Stover said: ‘Doctors have recommended that I start learning braille so that I can teach my son because of the tumours growing around his eyes and in his ear canal.

‘They tell me he will most likely lose his sight and hearing due to his condition.’

Later this month, Amare will consult with plastic surgeons to see if they can remove some of the tumorous mass around his eyes in a bid to help save his sight.

The chemotherapy medication he has been on for five years to try to shrink the tumours has yet to work.

Ms Stover, who is a single parent, is fundraising to cover the costs of her son’s medical bills, travelling to appointments and basic needs for their family.

She said: ‘His father is not around, so I have had to take care of him since he was four months old and have struggled to find a job, funds to pay for his treatment and more.

‘At one point, I lost my home when he needed surgery to have the trach and g-tube fitted, I had to move in with a friend.

‘There have been times where I’ve had to take him five times a month to the hospital and I don’t have a car, so have had to ask people for rides and use the free bus when we can.

‘It’s hard to find employment because there are a lot of days where due to my son being on chemo medication he’s too unwell to go to school.’