A MAJOR charity appeal set up by the family of youngster who suffers from a rare form of brain tumour has raised £22,000 in just eight months.

Naomi Savage, six, of Romanby, near to Northallerton, was suffering from an ependymoma brain tumour.

There are just 20 cases reported annually in the UK and as Naomi underwent lifesaving treatment at Leeds General Infirmary her shocked parents were left feeling helpless.

Desperate to do something to combat the illness Naomi’s parents, Lucy and Mark Savage, set up the Fight for Life Fund last year.

It has raised funds for Andrea’s Gift, a Yorkshire brain tumour charity, the Sick Children’s Trust and the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.

Some of the money has also been given to the University College of London in order to fund research into the illness.

Mrs Savage, a nurse specialising in intravenous medical care, said: "Naomi is in remission and she is still here but her future is not certain and so we want to keep going with this if we can.

"If she is lucky she has a 50:50 chance of getting through this as this is as likely to come back in ten years as ten days.

"She has undergone three major operations and she has a MRI scan every four months.

"We want to say thank you to so many people who have been so good to us and who have helped to raise the funds.

"Local support has been brilliant with the majority of the fundraising coming from Northallerton and Thirsk, although support has come from all over the country."

Sam Peck, a gunner with the Royal Artillery at Marne Barracks, Catterick Garrison, is among those raising funds for Naomi.

Last year he ran 30 miles from Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, to Yarm, near Stockton, to raise £2,250 for the charity.

This year he was to run 40miles from Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, to Northallerton and on toYarm, on Teesside, to raise funds but a military operation has delayed this.

Details on Naomi can be found at www.naomifightforlifefund.org.uk and donations can be made to Fight for Life Fund is at PO Box 202, Northallerton, DL7 7DF.