A family has raised almost £30,000 of a fundraising target to get a terminally-ill mum to America for life-saving treatment.
Heather Bellamy, 48, lives in Downham Market and has been battling terminal Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) for four years. After her body rejected two stem cell transplants, doctors say there is nothing more they can do for her, but the family say a new drug available in America could save her life.
Ms Bellamy's sister Samantha Williams, 49, lives in Stowbridge and works as a psychologist.
'We want to do whatever we can to help her get this drug,' she said. 'If that means going to America then absolutely we'll get her there. We know it isn't going to make her live forever but it is showing good results.
'Heather has shown tremendous strength and courage. What she has been through has been horrendous and I can't imagine where she gets the strength from. She is doing it for her children. She is absolutely amazing.'
The family have been overwhelmed by the support shown to Heather and the family as a whole.
Dawn Ryan, 41, a childminder from Downham Market and Ms Bellamy's younger sister, said: 'The support is wonderful. Everybody in the whole community knows about it and it would mean everything to get Heather the drug.
'Somebody said to me yesterday, 'what would happen to the money if we didn't raise enough?', I just said, I'm not thinking that way, I can't think that way. I can't imagine what it would be like, so we just keep going.'
The family have taken over the fundraising, so that Ms Bellamy's partner, Max Lincoln can concentrate on keeping the children's lives as normal as possible.
Mr Lincoln, 52, said: 'We help out when and where we can but it's important the children's routine isn't disturbed too much. We try and keep things as normal as we can, but sadly after this length of time, hospital has become normal for them as well.
'We are just blown away by the support of the local community. You hear about communities coming together and how good that can be, but to be on the receiving end of it is incredible.'
The family's fundraising page can be found by searching for 'Heather Bellamy' at www.gofundme.com.
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