A campaign set up to help save the life of Chester girl Erin Cross still needs more generous donations in order to give the five-year-old a fighting chance of survival.

In an astonishing show of public support, a staggering £100,000 was raised in less than 24 hours last week after Erin's parents Sarah and Antony issued a heartfelt public plea to help Erin get the lifesaving treatment she needs from the USA in just eight weeks, to help her beat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Thanks to kind-hearted donors from all over the world, the family smashed their target in record time , but they have now had to increase the amount by £40,000, due to tax costs and additional medical care for Erin.

Sarah, from Upton, wrote on Erin's campaign page: "Erin's consultants have been in talks with centres in America to gain a better understanding of exact costs and at the moment we believe we need raise £140,000 in total which would include any additional medical care needed by Erin whilst she is in America.

Erin Cross now has just eight weeks to raise £100k to save her life

"The long haul travel can make Erin poorly - when she went to Disney with Make a Wish, she took ill on the flight, needed emergency medical assistance and was rushed to hospital. "

Sarah explained: "Erin needs frequent scans, blood and platelet transfusions and we also have to consider tax costs on top of this already huge outgoing. So, for these reasons, we have been advised by the consultants from both the US and UK to increase Erin’s fund to £140,000 in total.

"We appreciate your generosity to date and would hope that you support Erin on the last stretch of this campaign to get the life-saving treatment she so desperately needs.

Erin Cross has suffered a relapse

"Any money raised which is additional to Erin's needs will fund Leukaemia research at Alder Hey Children's Hospital," she added.

The total amount raised is currently £119, 848.

Erin had already completed three years of leukaemia treatment after she was first diagnosed in 2012, and her parents hoped and prayed she had come through the worst.

Related : How you reacted to the smashing of Erin's fundraising target

But fatefully, she relapsed in March this year and has since had to go undergo months of intensive treatment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where doctors told Sarah and Antony that chemotherapy alone wouldn’t be enough to cure her - she needed a bone marrow transplant.

However, in order to get one, Erin needs to be in remission, and this will only be possible by undergoing Car T Cell therapy within eight weeks.

There is currently only one centre in the UK running this trial at the moment, which recruits just one child per month nationwide, so her only hope is receiving it from the USA.

Erin had been doing well for the past few days but is now back in Alder Hey with a temperature which means she has to be on IV antibiotics for at least 48 hours.

Donate to help save Erin here