A courageous teaching assistant who spent months learning to walk again after losing part of her leg now faces losing the rest of it after being diagnosed with a rare cancerous tumour in the same limb.
Tracy Delaroute was born with a condition known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - a neurological disorder which affects her legs, feet, hands and joints.
Over the years the 49-year-old from Denton has undergone more than 50 operations - including a full knee replacement - and been forced to fight off countless infections.
In 2011 Tracy contracted yet another infection as a result of surgery and ended up having to have a below knee amputation.
She endured several months of gruelling physiotherapy learning to walk again, and even joined the Manchester Amputee Fitness Initiative where she continued to rebuild her strength by boxing and swimming.
The mum-of-one's determination paid off, and she was able to return to work two months ahead of schedule.
But this was not the end of Tracy's health problems.
A few years later she noticed a lump had began to grow above the knee on her amputated leg.
"It was the size of lemon," she said.
"I kept wondering what it was, it moved around at first and I asked absolutely everyone.
"I showed the limb specialists and doctors but no one thought anything of it.
"It kept growing and ended up the size of a melon, I was sent for an MRI in March and that's when they told me it was a rare soft tissue sarcoma."
Tracy is due to start radiotherapy later this month and will spend 18 days at The Christie Hospital before undergoing further surgery to try and remove the tumour.
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If surgeons can't remove it, Tracy has been told they could potentially have to amputate the rest of her leg.
Even if the operation to get rid of the tumour is successful, it will also remove the remaining muscle in her leg, leaving her unable to walk and wheelchair bound for the rest of her life.
Because of this, Tracy's home will need to be adapted - a bedroom and washroom will need to be installed downstairs, as well as wheelchair friendly access.
But both she and partner Jay work, and so they aren't eligible for a big enough grant to carry out the work that needs to be done.
So, to try and help the couple out, Tracy's childhood friend Chelle Clynes and daughter Leanne decided to launch a fundraising page to help towards the costs, and support them during Tracy's treatment and rehabilitation.
A number of fundraising events are also in the pipeline, including Chelle - who is terrified of heights - preparing to take on a sponsored paraglide over the coast of north Cyprus.
Chelle said: "Tracy doesn't like attention and always thinks of others before herself.
"She's a teaching assistant and always puts the children first even through all her pain.
"Whatever she’s going through - pain, amputation, infections, allergies - she thinks of others first.
"That's why I want to help her, so if anyone would like to help with doing a car boot sale or coffee/cake morning or anything to help raise funds then it would be much appreciated."
Donations can also be made online at https://www.gofundme.com/mszqr-please-help-tracy
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