A teenager with cancer has made heart-breaking plea for help on the first anniversary of her diagnosis.

Kelly Turner, 16, has a rare form of the disease and needs £1 million for specialist treatment in America within 18 months.

Only a quarter of that amount has been raised, £253,685 up to yesterday (Oct 13), so far despite an unprecedented wave of help from her community in Dover with countless fundraising events.

She said: “I’m sorry to plead like this but I’m so desperate and broken and all I want is the chance to live like anyone else.

“I know I shouldn’t be negative but there is such a long way off the target.

Please help me before it’s too late and thank you for those who have helped me and are still helping. I’m in debt to so many people, I owe you all my life.”

Kelly’s message was posted on Facebook on Tuesday.
On October 11, 2015 she was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour, an aggressive form that usually begins in the abdomen and pelvis.

This is a rare type of soft-tissue sarcoma and doctors in Britain have not been willing to carry out the surgery because there are tumours too close to the liver.

Kelly has to within 18 months have treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York to save her life.

"The overwhelming feeling of frustration and worry (is) that every day is a countdown to possibly my death" - Kelly Turner

Kelly in her posting tells how last autumn she suffered agonising pains in her stomach and her treatment, continued to this day, began with six weeks in hospital.

She writes: “I believed it was a small glitch in my life that would be over in weeks.
“It was all a dream to me, a nightmare in fact.

“It breaks my heart that I’m still ill and everyone knows it. Everyone sees me as the girl with cancer. The overwhelming feeling of frustration and worry (is) that every day is a countdown to possibly my death.

“i feel gratitude that some many people have tried so hard to get the money for me. There are so many people I could name.”

If you can help go online to Kelly's justgiving page.

Several high street businesses also have collection tins for Kelly so that cash can be donated.