Bristol University helps brave Marcus fulfil dinosaur discovery dreams

The look on Marcus Tyler's face is a picture of concentration as he studies part of a dinosaur skeleton.

The nine-year-old was thrilled to be given the chance to see some of the bones from the Bristol Dinosaur.

For young Marcus has terminal cancer and did not know whether he would have the chance to fulfil his dreams of discovering a dinosaur for himself.

The youngster from Kingswood has six incurable tumours in his brain and three on his spine and spends most of his days sleeping.

Despite not being able to attend school for three months, Marcus still enjoys learning and loves watching documentaries about dinosaurs and science.

His grandmother, Ruth Foreman, arranged the special visit to Bristol University to look at the skeleton of the creature they have unearthed.

Marcus was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2007 after his mum took him to the doctor suffering with bad headaches.

After an MRI scan at Frenchay Hospital the youngster did not go home for eight weeks. The tumour was removed in a 14-hour operation.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed and the youngster was eventually given the all-clear, although he was still attending hospital regularly for scans and check-ups.

In August this year a routine MRI scan showed growths on Marcus' brain had returned, along with some on his spine.

His family were told that he could have chemotherapy but it would only prolong his life and not treat the cancer. However, the medication was making him too unwell so the decision was taken to stop it. Marcus has been under the care of the Children's Hospice South West's Charlton Farm in Wraxall for the past 10 days.

His mum, Sarah, 29, who has two other children, 10-year-old Megan and two-year-old Rumell, said: "Marcus has never been a little boy who likes football and has always been into science and likes his maths.

"He still sits at home and watches the Discovery Channel – he's always preferred it to watching kids programmes. Marcus has been really excited since he found out about seeing the dinosaur and hasn't shut up about it. He has always dealt so well with everything and never complained about his treatment."

Mrs Foreman said: "Marcus has always wanted to be a scientist and has always been interested in how things work.

"It is always the science programmes he watches on television, so when I saw a piece in the paper about the funding for the Bristol Dinosaur I contacted the university and they have been marvellous."

Marcus said: "I have always wanted to discover a dinosaur. It has been good and exciting."

The Bristol Dinosaur, a thecodontosaurus which is about the size of a kangaroo, was unearthed in Tytherington Quarry in the 1970s and the fossilised remains have been entombed in rock since.

But a Heritage Lottery Fund grant announced last month means work will be able to take place to excavate the skeleton so that it can go on display.

Head paleontologist at Bristol University, Professor Mike Benton, and paleontology lab manager, Remmert Schouten showed Marcus the bits of rock with parts of the fossilised dinosaur and explained what the creature would have been like.