Terminally ill mother achieves Crowdfunding treatment target in 48 hours

Two days ago a Crowdfunding page was set up to help raise £22,000 for 40-year-old Melanie Kennedy.

But today that figure has been exceeded - £22,475.

The mum-of-two agreed to allow friends fundraise for her after a drug she needs for breast cancer has not made available to her in Northern Ireland.

However earlier Ms Kennedy said the drug could be bought privately.

She said after other cancer drugs failed for her she was left having to "beg for her life" in a bid to receive a life-prolonging drug that could give her more time with her young sons.Melanie hopes to now be prescribed a drug called Kadcyla, which is available on the NHS in Scotland, but is only offered privately here at a cost of around £20,000. The cancer medication could potentially slow down the progress of the disease and offer Melanie a longer life.

Speaking from her north Down home, Ms Kennedy said her main hope is to spend more time with her two sons Josh (16) and five-year-old AJ.

Also read: Crowdfunding appeal for terminally ill mother raises more than £18,000 in hours