A family is trying to raise half a million pounds to save their 11-year-old daughter from a life-threatening childhood cancer.

Vanessa Riddle, from Troon, was diagnosed three years ago with neuroblastoma, a rare condition which affects just 100 children a year in the UK.

After undergoing intensive chemotherapy and many operations Vanessa was given the all-clear, only for the cancer to relapse a month ago.

Now her family say her only hope is to fly her to the United States for expensive treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Following her relapse doctors told Vanessa her chances of survival are less than ten per cent, but her family hope that better relapse treatment in the US will boost her prospects.

She said: "I was gobsmacked, I couldn't believe that I had this big condition and I needed to stay in hospital all the time.

I was a bit disappointed as well, because I found out that it only affects 100 kids a year in the UK and I was like, what's the chances of it getting me? But it got me."

To donate to Vanessa's appeal visit http://www.justgiving.com/vanessa-appeal.