A teenage cancer patient has raised more than €700,000 (£598,000) for lifesaving treatment after her video appeal for help went viral in a matter of days.

Shauntelle Tynan, 18, posted a video asking for contributions to fund trips to a clinic in the US, which she described as her "last chance".

As well as explaining how the disease had spread, Miss Tynan, from Carlow in Ireland, said she had been told by her Texas-based doctor that her chances of recovery depended on being able to spend at least 12 months in the country.

The video that raised hundreds of thousands in days

In the video, she explained she needed around €500,000 for specialist care that is not available in Europe.

By Wednesday, donations to her page on the crowd funding website GoFundMe had soared from €50,000 to more than €600,000.


It has now topped €700,000 thanks to contributions from nearly 30,000 people.

In a second video, posted on Wednesday, she expressed her shock at the success of the appeal and thanked supporters.

Image: The teenager showed the running total as she filmed her second video

"It completely went viral - I was not expecting half the support, even a quarter of the support that I got.

"Incredible. Amazing.

"You did this. Ireland came together and helped me so much, I've never been so happy in my whole life. I'm so emotional - I've been crying all morning."

The video also shows her revealing the good news to her younger brother Stephen, 10, and Sophie, six, with Stephen saying: "That's amazing, we only needed €500,000."

Miss Tynan was diagnosed nearly two years ago with a rare form of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and the cancer has spread to her gastrointestinal system, colon and skin.

Image: Shauntelle told her shocked brother the good news on camera

Her family has also been raising funds for her treatment.

In the first video, Miss Tynan said: "The doctors in Texas have told me if I don't come for at least 12 months then they don't have a great chance of helping me survive.

"We've been emailing my government to get them to help us with costs but if you fly outside of Europe, they don't help with medical costs... It's so sad that my life is being put on a number and how much money we need to make."