A Moray woman is desperately trying to raise thousands of pounds to give her one-year-old daughter life-changing cancer treatment in America.
Sonja Allan said her “world was turned upside down” when she learned that her youngest child Emma had a brain tumour.
The infant underwent an operation to remove the lump – but doctors have warned her mum that the aggressive disease could return.
Miss Allan has been told that the best chance of reducing the risk lies in treatment only available in the United States.
However, she needs £8,000 to pay for the course of radiotherapy and for her family to stay in Florida for three months while Emma is treated.
The 36-year-old has managed to collect almost half the money thanks to the generosity of family and friends.
She is now hoping her appeal will strike a chord with kind-hearted people across the north-east.
Miss Allan, from Mosstodloch, said: “Without that radiotherapy there is a good chance the cancer could come back.
“Doctors usually wouldn’t want to put someone Emma’s age through radiotherapy, but there’s no other choice because of how aggressive this cancer is.
“They think the form available in America would have fewer long-term effects on her than any here.”
Miss Allan moved to Fife with her long-term partner, Stephen Beggs, in 2004.
But she has retained close links with Moray, and it was while visiting family at Mosstodloch in October that she began to notice differences in her daughter.
Miss Allan added: “Emma was a bit wobbly on her feet and she started being sick in the mornings and was constantly tired.
“At first, doctors thought it could have been a urine infection but she continued getting worse after being prescribed antibiotics for that.”
It was only after an MRI scan that Emma was an diagnosed with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour – which affected her brain.
Miss Allan said: “Because the tumour was so large, they operated on her within days.
“It was such a shock, I knew something wasn’t right but I never imagined it could be anything so serious.”
After the operation, Emma was given chemotherapy, and spent six weeks at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Miss Allan has been granted sick leave from her job with supermarket giant Morrisons to be with her daughter, and took her in and out of hospital over the festive period.
Doctors say that proton radiotherapy treatment would best reduce the chances of Emma suffering a relapse.
Miss Allan has lodged an application to travel abroad for it with Scottish medical bosses, and has been advised that it is likely to be approved.
She has also been told to have the money ready, as the family will be given short notice of the need to travel should it be endorsed.
She added: “We have been told we have to move very quickly, with the hope that as soon as Emma completes her chemotherapy we can take her off to America for the radiotherapy.
“We are expecting some lasting effects, but the proton radiotherapy would keep that to a minimum.”
Emma’s doting big brother, six-year-old Ewan, is desperate to be by the infant’s side during treatment and his mum is eager to secure enough funds to allow him to make the trip as well.
Miss Allan’s old friends are now laying plans for a fundraiser in Mosstodloch’s Speymouth Hall next month.
The coffee morning will take place on Saturday, February 11, between 10am-noon.
Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sonja-allan-1.