A five-year-old girl with a neck tumour that was almost as big as her head finally received surgery to have it removed.

Athena Regaza was diagnosed with cystic hygroma - a fluid-filled sac that resulted from a blockage in the blood vessels - in Tacloban province, the Philippines in 2017.

The girl suffered from the lump for almost four years until Good Samaritans found her and offered to help her with the medical bills.

Now, the 1kg tumour has been removed from the girl's neck after a two-hour operation performed by medics at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City on August 5.

Pediatric surgeon Dr Beda Espineda said: ‘The tumour was quite big so we prepared blood in case she needed a transfusion. We had to be careful because the neck is connected to several vital structures.'

After two weeks since the surgery, the girl has returned home with her family and is recovering from her neck surgery wounds.

Grateful mother-of-two Karizza Manota said that well-wishers had raised more than ten thousand dollars which covered the cost of the operation and after-care.

She said: ‘I would like to thank the donors as well as the doctors who helped my daughter finally receive operation.

‘Because of them, Athena is okay now a happy girl. We are thankful to them for making my daughter have a better life.’

The girl is in stable condition now but she would still have to rest at home until she fully recovers from the wounds.