THE family of an Amersham teenager struck down by a rare form of cancer need to raise nearly £180,000 to give their son the treatment he needs.

Jamie Green can only receive the treatment he needs at a specialist centre in the USA - but it will cost quarter of a million pounds, which cannot be funded by the NHS.

The 13-year-old Dr Challoner's Grammar School pupil's family have raised £26,000 themselves in just a few weeks and received a donation of £50,000 from the Kids 'n' Cancer charity to help get him to America.

The charity recently helped raise the money for pioneering proton therapy treatment for Rotherham resident Nicola Gilbert - whose family this week joined the support for Jamie's fundraising campaign.

Her husband Mark said: "We have been so touched by Jamie’s case and so we want to help show the British public that this treatment really does work – Nicola is living proof.

"By coming together and donating to Jamie’s fund we will all be able to help save his young life. If 250,000 people donated 70p - the amount they would spend on a chocolate bar - to Jamie’s Fund then he would have the money he needs to have proton therapy."

Jamie's mother, Anita, said: "We’ve been overwhelmed at the kindness of all those who have donated towards Jamie’s fund. However, we do need more to pay for Jamie’s treatment and to save his life. So please share details of Jamie’s Fund and donate – every little helps.

"I never thought cancer would touch my family, nor my child like this. This whole experience has opened my eyes and has made me so thankful for the gift of life itself."

She added: "Anyone who has spent anytime with him could be forgiven for thinking he was older than he is. He is equally at home with adult company as that of other children.

"He has, and continues to, amaze us all with the strength and unbelievable bravery he has shown when facing such a scary and daunting condition and we are all extremely proud of his achievements to date.

"We are committed and determined as a family to confront and beat this disease and hope that with your assistance to provide our only child with a bright future that he so rightly deserves."

To donate to Jamie's Fund go to www.justgiving.com/jamiesfund or find out more by liking the campaign's Facebook page or following it on Twitter.