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A teacher has raised £180,000 for a potentially life-saving brain tumour treatment - find out more
A primary school teacher will travel to America today for potentially life-saving brain tumour treatment after raising £180,000.
Melissa Huggins, 27, of Staines, south-west London, is battling a cancerous brain tumour for the second time.
Doctors told Miss Huggins her tumour is inoperable and a form of treatment not available in Britain is her best hope of survival.
Melissa's Fighting Fund hosted a range of events throughout December and raised enough cash to allow Miss Huggins to travel to Boston General hospital.
Miss Huggins said her campaign, which she talked about on GMTV last month, was not just about saving her own life but about raising awareness of the need for health officials in the UK to purchase the specialised equipment needed.
Targeted treatment
The treatment will use highly-targeted protons rather than traditional radiotherapy to kill cancer cells growing in the tumour near the base of her brain stem.
The only machine in Britain that delivers the therapy is a low-energy variety used to treat eye cancers. It is not powerful enough to be used on other cancers.
The proton therapy is deemed more effective because it only targets cancer cells and does not damage healthy tissue surrounding the tumour.
For more information on Melissa's Fighting Fund, click on the link above
