A WISTASTON mum says she can't thank the community enough after a massive fundraising effort to send her son for vital cancer treatment hit the £170,00 mark today.

A Just Giving appeal to raise money to help pay for Georgy Capener's stem cell transplant in Thailand has produced a huge response.

As well as individual donations, many people have organised special events as Georgy's family look to hit a revised target of £240,000 which will pay for up to four trips to an Asian medical centre where the 11-year-old can undergo treatment that is not available on the NHS.

Georgy was first diagnosed with the rare form of bone cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma, in May 2018. He was in remission after initial treatment, but the cancer was found to have returned at Easter time this year and scans showed it had grown into his skull.

Mum, Helen, set up her appeal less than six weeks ago and she has been inundated with contributions and generous offers from people.

The family, from Windermere Road, suffered a setback when a recent scan showed that radiotherapy had not had the impact hoped for reducing the tumour.

"Georgy has gone for chemotherapy this week and we will have another scan in two weeks time and we will know a bit more then," outlined Helen.

"The good thing is that it is his last lot of chemotherapy, but he has got to be in remission by the time he goes to Thailand. They can't put a time on it, but we know that we will have to go out there straight away at that point as his immune system will be so low."

Fundraising efforts have ranged from the large to the small, but Georgy's family are hugely grateful for them all.

A raffle co-ordinated by Helen's friend, Joanne Edge, raised a staggering £31,060 with 52 sellers around Crewe and 300 prizes on offer.

Wistaston Tennis Club captain George Raiswell organised a tournament at the courts last Saturday, while the Willaston Club set up a 'Turbo to Thailand' event with members riding a course around the club equivalent of the mileage George and his family will be travelling for his life-saving treatment.

Among the forthcoming events are two football events, a South Cheshire Youth League tournament in Nantwich and a match which is being hosted by Sandbach United.

Crewe Alex have pledged to contribute 25 per cent of the revenue from sales of specially-produced cardboard cut outs of fans which are being placed in seats at Gresty Road for the club's behind-closed-doors games.

There is also an online auction "Shirts for Georgy" being run which includes prized items worn by Kevin De Bruyne and Dele Alli as well as memorabilia from Crewe Alex and Manchester United. The auction has so far raised £4,000.

"It has been amazing and we can't thank people enough. I keep on going on Facebook to thank everyone, but I think it is better to do it personally and I am doing that," said Helen.

"I did a seven-and-a-half minute video recently to explain to update everyone on the current situation and since then the total has gone up by £40,000."

The transplant will involve removing a faulty mother cell and harvesting new purified cells from a donated umbilical cord into Georgy's body to stop the cancer from returning. The procedures have very high success rates and the family are optimistic about his future.

His mother added: "The recent news has thrown things up in the air a bit. We've had online consultations with the surgeons and medics in Thailand and they are ready for Georgy, it is just a case of wait and see now.

"On the plus side the delay means we have more time to raise the money. He needs to have the first two rounds in Thailand and then we will need to go back for a third time, in all we will probably have to go out there four times. The treatment alone will now cost £240,000, but with other money pledged we are probably around £50,000 off that."

Pledge a donation at Helen's page on the JustGiving site here.

Of the coming fundraising events , the charity match at Sandbach United is on Sunday, September 13 with a 2.30pm K.O.

Georgy's Festival of Football is being organised by the South Cheshire Youth League over Saturday/Sunday September 12/13 at Nantwich Town/Malbank School.

Georgy plays for Betley under-12s who are members of the SCYL and each team's entrance fee of £50 is being donated.

HF Angling shop is also holding an angling match on September 19.