THE sister of a Renfrew mum who is battling an aggressive brain tumour has issued a desperate plea for help after finding out she will need to raise £90,000 to get her life-saving specialist treatment.

The family of Leighanne Sanderson were overjoyed after they heard from a cancer centre in Germany which confirmed it would be able to treat the 38-year-old.

However, Leighanne’s sister Katie said she needs all the help she can get from the people of Renfrewshire after being told she would need to pay £72,000 up front before she could even send Leighanne over there.

The family will then be required to pay a further £18,000 at a later date.

Since Katie started up a fundraising campaign six weeks ago, £14,000 has been raised for Leighanne, who has been told she has just months to live.

Katie, 33, said the fundraising is going well, but she fears she is running out of time to save her sister’s life.

She said: “On the one hand we were full of joy when we heard the news from Germany, there were tears all round.

“But on the other hand I’ve got to raise £72,000 to pay upfront.

“We have events planned up until June which I know will raise lots but I just don’t even know if I have got until June.

“Leighanne is deteriorating fast, people can see that from pictures.

“We need all the help we can get. I am begging people now.

“We simply cannot wait until June or July.

“I am at this 24/7 now. I’m hardly sleeping or eating because I cannot let my sister die.”

Leighanne, who is a proud mum to 15-year-old son Kieran, was told she had the tumour at the beginning of last year, when doctors said she had between 18 months and five years to live.

But in January, doctors delivered the devastating news that treatment she received at the Beatson in Glasgow, aimed at reducing the size of the tumour, hadn’t worked, and she was given a prognosis of two to four months.

Luckily, the family then discovered Hallwang Private Oncology Clinic in Dornstetten could give her treatment which may save her life, and efforts began to make this happen.

Katie said she is really panicking about the expense of the treatment, but is hoping people will rally around to raise as much as possible.

She said: “I need to save my sister’s life. Kieran is facing a future without his mum and I could end up having to raise him.

“We aren’t ready to stop fighting this horrible disease and I’ll do all I can to keep my nephew with his mum.

“The cancer is starting to take its toll and it is very aggressive.

“Please donate anything you can.”

To make a donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kathleen-sanderson.