ELY Standard readers and listeners t Star Radi can give themselves a huge pat n the back this week. A massive £56,676 has been raised fr ur charity f the year Liam s Fund, bringing Liam s ttal up t an impressive £139,029.98. The Ely Standard and S

ELY Standard readers and listeners t Star Radi can give themselves a huge pat n the back this week. A massive £56,676 has been raised fr ur charity f the year Liam's Fund, bringing Liam's ttal up t an impressive £139,029.98.

The Ely Standard and Star FM launched a jint fund-raising campaign in May last year t help Sham schlby Liam Fairhurst raise £100,000 fr children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. We tld readers hw the 12-year-ld had recently been diagnsed with cancer fr the secnd time, but was determined t reach his fund-raising target.

Lcal peple respnded magnificently and this week we learned that Liam has exceeded his riginal target by almst £40,000.

Liam's dad Mark said: "We are extremely grateful fr all the supprt that the Ely Standard and Star Radi campaign has generated. Nt nly because we knw this mney will make a big difference t families like urs but als n a mre persnal nte because it has kept all f us ging ver the last few mnths.

"Anyne ging thrugh cancer treatment (and their families) will knw that life becmes a bit f a rllercaster with ups and dwn, the supprt shwn by yur readers and Star listeners has helped us during the dwns and made the ups mre appreciated.

"Currently, we are n a straight stretch. Liam cntinues n lw-level chem until May and has scans in March. Hpefully all this will see him int remissin, where he will g back t three-mnthly checks with n further need fr chem.

"Despite everything he has gne thrugh he has managed t stay at schl full-time (apart frm hspital appintments) and this is thanks t the brilliant supprt frm the staff at Sham Village Cllege, the care he has received frm the hspital and his cmmunity nurses Nicki and Lucy.

"We knw that nne f what he has achieved wuld have been pssible withut this supprt, and hpe that he has inspired ther peple facing this disease nt t give up and t realise that yu can live with cancer. We wuld als like t thank CLIC Sargent, wh have been with us all the way, and particularly fund-raising manager Karen Rberts, fr all she has persnally dne fr us."

Liam was diagnsed with cancer in his leg in June 2005. He underwent fur peratins, fur curses f chem and had 32 blasts f raditherapy. The secndary cancer, in his lung, was picked up at a rutine scan in February last year.

While battling the disease, Liam decided he wanted t raise mney fr the charity that had given him and his family s much practical and emtinal supprt. He even appeared n the televisin prgramme Millin Pund Giveaway and persuaded the panel t give him £50,000 fr a hliday hme fr families.

Karen Rberts, frm CLIC, said: CLIC Sargent wuld like t say a massive thank yu t all the peple f East Cambs wh have given such tremendus supprt t Liam's campaign.

"We have been verwhelmed by peple's genersity and s far the appeal has managed t raise a staggering £139,029.98. This mney will enable CLIC Sargent t cntinue t supprt lcal families thrugh the lcal services prvided by the fantastic team at Addenbrke's Hspital. As Liam is always the first t pint ut, it is nt just him, everyday 10 children and yung peple are diagnsed with cancer r leukaemia and CLIC Sargent will be there fr each family, caring every step f the way."

Mark Peters, breakfast presenter at Star wh launched Liam's Mile t raise mney fr Liam and has wn tw radi awards fr his fund-raising effrts, said: "The reasn we gt invlved is simple... it was Liam. He apprached us and made such a reasnable request fr help, and we were wn ver by his curage and bravery. He deserves ur supprt. He never gives up and has faced s much. I think we we it t him t d what we can t help.