THE family of a woman fighting cancer for the second time has launched a cash crusade to send her on a 5,000 mile trip for treatment.

Pamela Aston, 46, of Upper Church Street, Spennymoor, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 and after a mastectomy and intense therapy was confident she had beaten the disease.

Last October the mum-of-one was given the devastating news that she has secondary cancer of the liver, which doctors in the UK have told her is incurable.

Pamela, known as Pam Ellis, and her family have launched a campaign to raise £20,000 for Issels treatment at Oasis of Hope Hospital, in Tijuana, Mexico. Issels therapy uses alternative medicine alongside conventional treatment and the hospital claims to improve life expectancy of patients by up to 45 years.

Pamela, a leisure attendant at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, said: "I don't want to give in to it, I just want a chance to see my two-year-old granddaughter Rochelle grow up."

Events have been organised including a sponsored abseil, raffles, book sales, and disco and pie and pea supper at Spennymoor Leisure Centre on Sunday night.

For tickets for Sunday's event, or to help in any other way, call Michelle on 0794 189 6009.