Nearly £50,000 has been raised for a 12-year-old cancer-stricken Hartley boy.

Jack Howard has been diagnosed with kidney cancer for the second time in his life.

And now, the brave youngster’s family hope to raise £250,000 to take him to America for pioneering treatment.

Jack’s aunt, Keely Howard, set up the fundraising page last week.

It reads: “This is an urgent appeal to raise £250,000 for a cancer treatment in America for my nephew Jack.

“We need to raise as much as we can and only have a few weeks - Jack is 12 years old and has a Wilms tumour. This is a childhood cancer which he is fighting for the second time.

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Jack Howard (right)

“In 2013 Jack underwent a year of gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as having his kidney removed, Jack went into remission in February 2014 and the cancer returned in December 2015.

“All treatment has failed in the UK and our only hope is a drug available in America, Jack desperately needs to travel to Los Angeles to get pioneering treatment which will hopefully save his life.”

Since the Crowdfunder page started, football teams have helped the Howard family.

West Ham Football Club donated £5,000 to Jack, a life-long Hammers fan, while Charlton Athletic gave his family 10 hospitality tickets in a box.

Jack’s dad, Nick Howard, said: “The NHS has done absolutely everything they can for Jack but the cancer is not responding to conventional treatments. Now they are out of options.”

The family have been advised the treatment could cost in the region of £250,000, subject to an initial examination, and a £75,000 deposit is also required.

Click here to donate to the fund to help Jack.

Furthermore, people can use the hashtag #HelpJack on Twitter to raise awareness of the former Gravesend pupil’s cause.