A BRAVE gran battling a rare cancer has told how she fears she won't live to see her beloved daughter's April wedding.

Largs woman Elaine Maltby contracted a rare form of aggressive eye cancer, Uveal Melanoma, that resulted in the removal of her left eye three years ago.

In late 2019, the cancer was found to have spread and inoperable lesions were discovered on Elaine's liver.

With limited treatment options due to the complexity of the disease, the mum-of-three could only be offered a treatment commonly used for skin cancer, which sadly failed.

Now the 54-year-old's only hope is Chemo-saturation Therapy, a six-part treatment not currently funded on the NHS in Scotland - but available privately at a staggering £40,000 per session.

The family have now launched a quarter of a million pound fundraising drive in a bid to pay for the potentially life-saving private treatment themselves.

Despite having a 'price on her life', NHS employee Elaine is remaining upbeat and incredibly grateful to those who have already helped her raise over £67,000.

She told the News: "This is really my last hope and I do not know how long I have left. I have young grandchildren and want to see my daughter get married in April, but it is a race against time.

"It is quite surreal seeing how much support the fundraiser has amassed. Within the first 48 hours we wer already ten per cent of the way.

"I didn't feel it was real until I actually read my own fundraising page, it's amazing how many people have supported me, both known and anonymously.

"This is really my last hope and I do not know how long I have left. I have young grandchildren and want to see my daughter get married in April, but it is a race against time."

On average, less than 40 people per year in Scotland are diagnosed with Elaine's condition. Treatments are extremely limited worldwide, but even more so in Scotland.

The Maltby family hope to send Elaine to the Spire in Southampton for the therapy, which has had a 40 to 60 per cent success rate in previous patients.

The grandmother and her husband George, 64, are originally from Skelmorlie where they were hoteliers, running the popular Redcliffe.

The pair have been spending treasured time with their family, including daughter Jenna and her partner Gordon, daughter Suzanne and her soon-to-be-husband Luke and grandchildren 10-year-old Olivia and 14-month-old Roan.

In December, the couple's other daughter Natalie left her life in Australia and returned home with husband Clint and their baby girl, 15-month-old Raemy to be by Elaine's side.

Natalie said: "I had applied for compassionate leave to come home, but it was rejected due to Covid-19.

"The only way we could leave was if we left our entire life there and came here. That was daunting but worth it to be closer to my mum."

Suzanne, who is set to wed her fiancé in a few months, hopes the appeal will allow her mum's treatment to start as soon as possible.

The bride-to-be added: "The venue is in Edinburgh and is really special as my mum found it. Because she loved it so much, we loved it too.

"We just need to take things as they come and if it comes to it we will move the wedding forward so mum can be there, but we cannot say how much getting this treatment would mean to us as a family."

Elaine was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017 after a routine eye examination and has continued to live life as fully as possible; continuing her job, returning to the driver's seat, cycling and pursuing her hobby of painting.

She does not know how quickly the cancer will progress and even if the treatment is approved to be used on the NHS in England by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), it is unknown when - and if - it'll be available in Scotland.

Elaine added: "If I reach the full amount, I can more or less start the treatment right away.

"There have been people who have had three or four sessions, but six sessions is the optimum amount and the most effective in battling the aggressive cancer.

"My sister Yvette (pictured back left behind pram) always says 'where there is life, there is hope' and it's this mantra that is getting the family through."

To donate to Elaine's fundraiser, visit bit.ly/3ovhWm4