Despite a devastating terminal diagnosis, Aaron McMahon is on the road to recovery.

After a successful eleven hour surgery, a Cork teen will be flying home soon with a new outlook on life.

McMahon, from Shanagarry, was told the cancer in his skull was untreatable, and given mere months to live. However, surgeons in Pittsburgh were successful in their attempt to remove a chordoma tumor.

According to the Irish Times, McMahon’s “prognosis is good”. The brave teen had previously traveled to Germany for proton treatment in a bid to help beat his rare form of cancer.

McMahon (18) told Cork’s 96FM that his recovery was going well and he was “looking forward to getting back to his own bed” and see his dogs.

#Cork #News we’ve been speaking to #Cork teenager Aaron McMahon about his recovery following his life-saving brain surgery in the US. He’s hoping to return home next month https://t.co/nOm9x5JVUc pic.twitter.com/vLe2ijumII

— Cork's 96FM (@Corks96FM) August 27, 2018

He also thanked the tireless fundraising efforts made by those in his community.

“I am speechless towards the amount of people who got involved. Everyone who came out fundraising, I am very thankful,” he said.

His mother Gail (below) commended those at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) - and expressed her concern about the future treatments available to her son in Ireland.

"The comfort here of going in and seeing one of the team (in Pittsburgh), it doesn't matter which one, and you can ask questions,” she said.

"If I am out with Aaron and I have a problem I can email. You have no idea of that feeling that at last I have somebody who can take care of Aaron."

She opened up about how frightening it was to bring him to the States for treatment, and called for better treatment options in Ireland.

The teen's cancer is rare - chordoma (part of a group of malignant bone and soft tissue tumors called sarcoma) is diagnosed in one million people a year.

In order to obtain the life-saving treatment in the US, the family has now raised over $165,000 via GoFundMe.

Read More: Cork teen with rare cancer raises over $100k for life-saving treatment

The McMahon family would like to acknowledge the work of the Gavin Glynn Foundation.