Desperate bride-to-be asks for donations to fund cancer treatment instead of wedding presents as her 'last hope for survival'

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Emma Houlston, 31, has an aggressive inoperable form of ovarian cancer
Doctors initially removed her tumour two years ago during chemotherapy
But it returned again last year and became immune to further bouts
Her only hope is immunotherapy - which is not available through the NHS
The treatment is expected to cost around £114,000 at a private clinic

Published: 09:38 EST, 11 October 2016 | Updated: 10:05 EST, 11 October 2016

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A bride-to-be has launched a heartbreaking campaign asking for donations for life-saving treatment - instead of wedding presents.

Emma Houlston, 31, from London, has aggressive inoperable ovarian cancer and her only hope is immunotherapy - which is not available on the NHS.

The treatment, which is expected to cost around £114,000 privately, works by getting the immune system to destroy cancerous cells.

Her wedding day has been brought forward to ensure she gets married to fiance Matt Lees, 31.

The couple penned a heartfelt message to would-be guests asking them to donate money to their online fundraising page instead of gifts.

Emma Houlston, 31, from London, has aggressive inoperable ovarian cancer and her only hope is immunotherapy - which is not available on the NHS

Miss Houlston said: 'I've tried a number of treatments but I've run out of options.

'The only hope I have left is immunotherapy - a treatment that's seen miraculous results for my cancer, but one that isn't available on the NHS.

'The costs we face for this treatment are terrifying but when the only other option is giving up and dying I'm determined to find a way to keep myself alive.

'We've organised the wedding in a month and it has been very rushed but Matt and I just can't wait to be married.

'People were asking us what we wanted as gifts. We don't need anything - apart from money for the treatment.

'If we do run out of money - and I don't know when that would be - we don't know what will happen.

Doctors found a grapefruit-sized tumour in her stomach two years ago, and she was quickly diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcemic type

Surgeons successfully operated and she was declared cancer-free after six months of intense chemotherapy (left and right) which finished in March last year. But in June this year she started to feel unwell and doctors confirmed the cancer had returned

'Raising this money is, for me, the difference between life and death.'

Miss Houlston started feeling unwell and bloated two years ago but initially put it down to getting fatter as she approached 30.

She also believed it may be due to tiredness after attending Glastonbury Festival.

But her doctor found a grapefruit-sized tumour in her stomach, and she was quickly diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcemic type.

WHAT IS SMALL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE OVARY?

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare, highly malignant tumour that affects mainly young women.

Around two thirds of patients with ovarian small cell carcinoma have hypercalcemia - high levels of calcium in the blood.

It is one of several types of ovarian cancer and is very aggressive and can grow very quickly.

While many patients are diagnosed at an early stage, the aggressive behavior leads to a strikingly poor prognosis as most die within a year.

Source: Small Cell Ovarian Cancer Foundation

She is thought to be the only person in the UK suffering from the aggressive cancer which can grow a centimeter each week.

Surgeons successfully operated and she was declared cancer-free after six months of intense chemotherapy which finished in March last year.

She spent a long time wondering if she would ever have a baby after watching her friends become pregnant.

But in June this year she started to feel unwell and doctors confirmed the cancer had returned.

She had several tumours on her bladder, liver and elsewhere in her abdomen and has been hooked up to a drip for a large majority of the time since.

Chemotherapy was ruled out as doctors believed the cancer may have developed an immunity to it.

A drug trial was unsuccessful leaving just one option - immunotherapy treatment -which has proved successful around the world, but is not funded in the UK.

It works by harnessing the patient's immune system to get it to destroy cancer cells.

With time running out, her parents scraped together their savings to fund the start of the treatment at a private clinic in London.

Her wedding day has been brought forward to ensure she gets married to fiance Matt Lees, 31

But Miss Houlston has been told she will likely need a years worth of self-funded IV medicines to fight the rare cancer - expected to cost around £114,000.

She was stunned when loved ones shared the page online and donations rose to £50,000 in just 12 hours.

Miss Houlston added: 'We sent out an email to friends saying it would be wonderful if anyone wanting to give a small gift did so by making a donation to the fundraising page.

'I started it off with £20 last night to get it going and it just took off from there.

'It has been incredible. I was in tears as it poured in. It makes me well up that people I don't know can be so generous as well as people I know being extremely generous.

'It is amazing people can be so kind.'

To donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/2ry3umc