Walsall soldier who dedicated his life to his country needs help to get lifesaving cancer treatment
The wife, family and friends of a Gulf War veteran from Walsall who has brain cancer and needs £250,000 to fund lifesaving private treatment have begun raising the vital cash.
Father-of-two Leslie Athersmith, aged 50, was diagnosed with a gliosarcoma brain tumour in March this year.
His wife Michelle has started auctioning off her possessions including camera equipment to help raise £250,000 for DC Vax L immunotherapy treatment which is only available privately in the UK.
Leslie, who is nicknamed Ava, has previously had surgery to remove most of the cluster, alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy to slow down its growth once again, but these measures only work temporarily and the illness has a general prognosis of eight to 18 months.
The couple got married for the second time in April, weeks after Leslie's diagnosis, and they live at the family home in Pelsall.
They first met aged 13 and went on to have a 24-year-old son Jake, a 29-year-old daughter Melissa and two grandchildren.
