PAUL Gannon knows all about showing fighting spirit and he is ready to show that bravery once again after being told he has inoperable cancer.

The news came when he hoped to get the all-clear after a nine-month battle with bladder cancer.

It was a hammer blow to Paul and his wife Julie, who have four children, Jasmine, 10, Megan, eight, Lewis, five and Leo, one.

In a bid to battle the disease, Paul and his family have launched a campaign to help him get treatment overseas in Mexico after he was told he couldn’t be cured in the UK.

With a Facebook page up and running, the mission has already gathered momentum with almost £14,000 raised already.

A total of around £24,000 is needed to get Paul to Mexico in order to have treatment.

Paul, 39, from Sutton, is no stranger to adversity having broken his spine in 1996 meaning he could no longer walk unaided.

Last June his bladder was removed after he was diagnosed with the disease.

He also underwent six-and-a-half weeks of radiotherapy after more lumps were found.

“Everybody was just numb when they said that it was inoperable,” said Paul’s brother-in-law John Wright, 40.

“We haven’t been given a time, they can’t put a time on it so we are racing against time as a family.

“I just couldn’t accept the word inoperable and did an Internet search for treatments and came across these treatments in Mexico.

“I was best man at his wedding and he’s more like a brother to me.

“Paul’s had a really difficult life. In 1996 while he was working at Sutton Timber he fell from a 20-foot ladder and broke his spine which meant he couldn’t work.

“He went from a young lad always happy and he’s been through so much pain in his life.

“In 2003 he and Julie also lost a baby to spina bifida which was buried at St Ann’s, in Sutton. They have been through absolute hell and to have been told he’s got cancer was bad enough.

“They got permission to have a christening for Leo at home on Sunday which went well.”

The ‘Team Gannon Fundraising 2015’ page on Facebook has already received hundreds of likes with online auctions taking place. And a series of events have been organised to help Paul reach his target.

A tribute music event is to be held at Sidac social club on Sunday, April 12, with £10 per ticket and free admission for children.

On Sunday, March 29 a sponsored ‘Walk for Paul’ will take place which go from Anfield to Saints’ Langtree Park with participants carrying buckets along the way. A coffee morning will be held on Saturday, April 4 at St Anne’s Social Club.

“Paul and Julie are both massive Saints fans and used to go home and away and we’re hoping to get Martin Murray and Tommy Makinson down to the tribute night and hopefully most of the Saints lads.

“We just need to do this. We’re hoping with the walk, the tribute night, and coffee morning will take us to that target.”

For more information visit the 'Team Gannon Fundraising 2015' Facebook page.

For tickets to the fundraising events contact John Wright on 07725086896,  Gary Strange 07803614033 or Karen Ashton on 07912651175.