A BRAVE teenager has flown to Mexico this week for potentially life-saving cancer treatment after battling the disease for five years.

Charlie Ilsley, from Emmer Green, has travelled abroad in the middle of the current pandemic with his mum, Toni and dad Mark for Immunotherapy.

READ MORE: Emmer Green family fly to Mexico for cancer treatment for son Charlie Ilsley.

Toni hopes the treatment will be the "third time lucky" for her 13-year-old son who has undergone countless operations and even more hospital trips to help rid him of this cancer.

The Chronicle has this week launched a campaign to support the family through their ongoing battle and is encouraging readers to join the efforts to help Charlie's fight.

A timeline of Charlie's treatments leading up to Mexico

Charlie was diagnosed with the tumour when he was only eight years old, following weeks of unexplained vomiting and neck pain.

Following treatment, he went into remission in 2016, but in March 2018 the cancer returned after a routine scan picked up five tumours on his spine.

The teenager then underwent treatment for brain and secondary spinal cancer in Turkey, which cost more than £81,000.

Charlie was given the all clear and began Immunotherapy treatment in Germany to prevent the cancer from returning.

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However, following a routine scan in November last year, doctors confirmed there were cancer cells in Charlie's spinal fluid.

Charlie then had two rounds of Immunotherapy (slightly different to before) in Germany costing £20,000 each time.

Alongside this, Charlie had an NHS funded operation at the beginning of January where an Ommaya reservoir was fitted to allow chemotherapy to be administered directly into his spinal fluid.

Chemotherapy administered at the John Radcliffe hospital had not been effective and chemotherapy at The Harley Street Hospital in London had to be halted due to the coronavirus.

Now, Mexico is Charlie's next option but the family still needs to raise money to pay for the treatment.

To back the Chronicle's campaign and donate to the family's efforts, visit Charlie's Just Giving Page here.