A five-year-old girl can still manage a smile - even though a rare disease has caused a huge tumour to grow inside her cheek.

Creslin Faith Arupo was born with the defect, which doctors detected while she was still in the womb but mistook the image on the ultrasound scan for a conjoined twin.

The girl's mother, Chrisilda Hidago, then 25, returned to the hospital in Quezon City, the Philippines when she was seven months pregnant. Medics told her that her unborn child was suffering from Hemangioma Lymphangioma.

The tumour was caused by a rare birth defect that most commonly appears on the face, scalp, chest or back.

Tragically, five years later after she was born, Creslin still endures the painful lump that grows bigger throughout the years.

Her mother died aged 30 last month and her father left - adding to the family's financial woes - but in a bitter-sweet tragedy, Creslin's aunt has started caring for her and is seeking help to finally cure the child.

Creslin 's aunt, Cecilia Rojas, said the girl is a sweet and playful child who loves dancing and karaoke - but cries at night when it’s cold, due to the pain of the growth.

Cecilia said: ''My niece's face is painful in the night when it’s cold. We are also careful about her catching colds or getting a fever because it makes the lump swell even more.''

Creslin's family struggle with her medical expenses but still manage to take her to the doctors regularly with the help of kind relatives.

Cecilia added that the girl’s body is already strong enough to have the surgery to remove the tumour, but they still don’t have enough funds to pay for the operation.

She said: ''My niece is a fighter. Surgery is all she needs now to be well, but we don’t have enough money to pay for it after her mother died.''

The heartbroken aunt said Creslin’s mother had unexpectedly died this month, and it added to the family’s burden.

Now, they are appealing to good Samaritans to help them pay for the girl’s surgery.

The aunt said: ''I don’t know where else to ask for help. We want our niece to have a better life. She deserves to have a future. I want to see her grow up and have a happy life, doing the things that other girls do. That's what her mother wanted, too. So we will keep fighting for her.''