“I need to feel as a mum that I’ve tried everything.”

That is the defiant message from Vanessa Croft, who fears her art-loving daughter may lose the use of her right arm unless something is done soon to tackle the huge tumours taking over her body.

Katie Newell, of Powers Hall End, Witham, was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF) when she was just 15-months-old and doctors feared it would kill her before she even reached the age of five.

Now 22, she has already defied the odds and undergone about ten operations to keep the condition, which causes benign tumours affecting the nervous system, at bay.

But internal tumours continue to crush Katie’s vital organs.

Her left lung is already completely squashed and she survives with only 30 per cent use of her right lung, which is also severely compressed.

Her aaorta, trachea and pancreas are also badly affected, while tumours in Katie’s neck have caused damage to her nerve network and left her with little use of her left arm.

About a year ago, Katie was told the tumour on the right side of her neck was also slowly causing damage and her family fear she may now lose the use of her right arm too unless something is done.

“Her drawing is her life,” said Vanessa.

“That’s all she’s got. She doesn’t go out like other people her age, she doesn’t have friends over. If she lost that she’d be absolutely devastated.”

Vanessa is frustrated that the NHS will not scan Katie regularly and will only act if she has a specific problem that requires urgent surgery.

She said: “It’s basically an SOS operation in this country and can only be done when something goes wrong.

“It’s like a ticking time bomb and we don’t know when it’s going to go bang.”

She added: “She’s not out of the woods with this condition shortening her life and for a while now we’ve been having to just sit back waiting for something bad to happen.

“It’s time to start fighting again.”

Vanessa, who suffers from a far milder form of the incurable condition, is hoping to safeguard Katie’s immediate future by launching the Fighting For Katie Newell appeal.

She hopes to initally raise about £2,000 to pay for her to get a full body scan done privately.

The family then hope to send the results to consultants in America who they hope will analyse them and propose pro-active, rather than reactive, surgery.

To donate or keep up-to-date with the latest fundraising events, visit fightingforkatienewell.co.uk or facebook.com/fightingforkatienewell