A BRADFORD family has been left overwhelmed at fundraising efforts to help a mum-of-two battling a rare type of cancer, with a huge event held over the weekend and a touching gesture from another family who have been in a similar situation.

Kasia Czerniga, 36, from Greengates, received the devastating news earlier this year that she has a type of brain tumour called medulloblastoma.

Her family believe it is so rare that she is only the 33rd adult in the UK to be diagnosed with it.

Kasia, a hairdresser, is currently receiving radiotherapy treatment, but a campaign has been launched in the hope of raising enough money to pay for proton beam therapy, a type of radiotherapy that uses a beam of high energy protons to treat specific types of cancer.

It enables these protons to be precisely targeted at a tumour, reducing the damage to surrounding healthy tissues and vital organs.

This can be an advantage for certain groups of patients, or where the cancer is close to a critical part of the body.

Kasia will not be able to receive the treatment through the NHS, so well-wishers are on a mission to help cover the £60,000 cost.

The family, originally from Starogard Gdanski, Poland, have been touched by the huge outpouring of support.

An event was held on Sunday, at the Polish club on Edmund Street, Bradford, to help raise funds.

Kasia’s husband Robert, 37, said £12,000 had been raised and he estimated around 1,000 people had visited throughout the day to show their support.

He thanked all the “amazing” people who helped with the event.

Robert said Kasia went to the event for an hour and couldn’t stop crying when she saw everyone who had turned out.

“Thank you all from bottom of my heart,” he said.

“It’s overwhelming, it’s something we didn’t expect. It’s pulled all the community together.

“It’s really, really amazing.”

He paid tribute to the “dedication, work and enormity of heart” which people had shown.

The family is now close to the £30,000 mark - a total which has been given a boost from the family of late Thornton woman, Amy Meskiri.

Amy was battling aggressive breast cancer and the severity of her situation led her family to launch a campaign to raise £100,000 for experimental treatment in Germany.

The 25-year-old was told her cancer had progressed to Stage 4 last Christmas, but the illness sadly claimed her life in early April.

It was just days after she had reached Germany for treatment.

In a poignant nod to their own situation, Amy’s family donated £1,500 to Kasia’s fundraising.

In a note alongside the donation, they explained it was from the remaining funds which were intended to be used for her treatment.

Writing on the JustGiving page, Amy’s mum Wendy Raistrick said: “We really hope this will help and will keep you all in our prayers.”

To donate to Kasia’s fund, visit the JustGiving page here