When Mark*, 12, learnt he had cancer he sat in his living room, video game in hand, and imagined that the baddies he was killing were the cancerous cells.

Some months have passed since the news. He now sits on a hospital bed in his pyjamas, surrounded by his mother and father who are determined to win the war against the disease that initially shattered their world.

"It's part of my life... I'm fighting it," Mark says in a soft tone, injected with childish wisdom as he talks about hoax chain mails that are being circulated to trick people into helping inexistent child cancer patients.

"It's not nice that people invent these things. I think it's a bit cruel," he adds as his intravenous machine starts beeping.

One imaginary child in these chain mails making the rounds claims to be a seven-year-old Maltese girl, called Amy Bruce, who is dying of cancer. The fictitious Amy says that, each time the mail is forwarded, an international organisation donates money for her life-saving operation.

The telephone number and address of a Maltese woman, Simone Anastasi, were mistakenly added to this hoax mail when she clicked the forward button about a month ago and her contact details were automatically inserted.

Since then, several people called Ms Anastasi asking where they could donate money to help little Amy and, each time, she has had to explain the e-mail is a hoax.

But these people's offer to help need not go to waste as there are many real children like "Amy Bruce" in Malta who could use some help - Mark is just one of them.

"These fake e-mails are very unfair I think. People might end up not believing the real stories," his parents say.

Earlier this year Mark was diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer in the lymph nodes.

"When we got the news it was quite a blow and we were aware that we had to tell Mark. He knows exactly what he's got but, thank God, it's curable," his parents explain.

In July, Mark walked into Mater Dei Hospital to start treatment. "At first I felt a bit sad and I had quite a shock," he says, but now that he knows the nurses at the Rainbow Ward better he feels more comfortable and can be himself.

Mark's parents add that the people who work in the ward do everything possible to make sure patients and their families are taken care of.

"What really strikes us in here is the heroism of both staff and patients. There are situations much worse than ours and you see people who have the strength to cope with them," they say.

The diagnosis led to significant changes in the life of Mark and his family. Apart from the hair loss due to chemotherapy, he is not able to go to school, play outdoors with his elder brother or go to a restaurant, which he loves, since his immune system is weak and he has to remain in sterile environments.

His mother stopped working and his father reduced his working hours to give Mark and his brother more attention.

"We came to realise that family is the most important," his mother says.

"You start asking these fundamental questions like: What lasts in life? At the end of the day you're going to get old, eventually stop working, your ambitions might be fulfilled for a while but you will want more. What really lasts are relationships," says his father.

"This is a period we just have to go through together but there is a beginning and there is an end," he adds.

"Exactly," Mark and his mother join in chorus and Mark admits that when he's better, the first thing he wants to do is go to a restaurant.

"And you can choose anything on the menu. Just close your eyes and pick anything," his father tells him with smiling eyes.

Anyone who wishes to help real children like Mark who are battling cancer can send a donation to Puttinu Cares - a Children's Cancer Support Group.

To donate €7 call 5004 9543, for €11 call 5004 954, and for €23 call 5004 9540 or make a deposit in HSBC account number 89077341001.

www.puttinucares.org.

*Not his real name