The “amazing” High Wycombe community has been praised for rallying round to help a brave woman in her fight against a rare form of cancer.

The family of Jamila Akram, who lives in Hepplewhite Close, are hoping to raise at least £370,000 to send her to America to take part in a trial which could help treat the aggressive Double Hit Lymphoma that she has been suffering with for two years.

Thanks to donations from the community, more than £126,000 has already been collected since the start of September – but there is still a long way to go. 

If successful, Mrs Akram will take part in a trial based on Car-T cell therapy, which extracts white blood cells from the patient's blood, “genetically reprograms” them to kill cancer and put them back inside the patient’s body, where they multiply.

Despite intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions in the UK, her family say these will only “buy her time” and not cure her.

Daniel Betts, Mrs Akram’s son-in-law, said she has managed to remain positive throughout her ordeal.

He said: “She has been through some real trials but she is still positive to this day. She is a real fighter and I don’t know where she gets the strength from. She is trying so hard to fight this.

“The family are very popular and well thought of in the community and they have lived here since the 1960s. They have kept this fight private for most of her struggle but they have run out of options.

“We never expected this when we first started the campaign. Obviously the family hoped and wished we could, but the response from everyone has been great. The family were just going to see what the power of social media could do.

“In a few weeks, it is an amazing amount to have raised. It is important to raise awareness as well, because in the Asian community, it is the sort of thing they don’t talk about a lot.”

So far, donations have come in from across the UK and as far as Australia, Colombia and France.

An October 1 deadline for fundraising was originally set by the family, but money can still be raised after this time. 

To donate, visit www.youcaring.com/jamilaakram-916562.