FAMILY and friends of a popular Kingswinford geography teacher and sportswoman left wheelchair-bound by MS are rallying to raise £50,000 to help pay for potentially life-changing treatment in Mexico.

Keen runner Stacey Hurrell, former geography teacher and curriculum leader of humanities at The Kingswinford School, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014 - just a year after completing both the London and Edinburgh Marathons for charity.

But the gutsy mum and mentor, who lives in Dudley, didn't let her condition slow her down and she carried on training and competing and became a para-athlete, achieving a ranking as the UK's number one athlete in 2015 for the T36 100m and 200m sprints and long jump events.

She also won three gold medals for England in the CPISRA world games and was ranked as number 11 in the world for the 100m, 15 for the 200m and second in the long jump; she was also put on the British athletics Talent ID programme for potential to run at the Rio Olympic Games.

But the MS was aggressive and she went downhill rapidly despite treatment with disease modifying drug Lemtrada and she went from still being able to run and walk at the start of 2016 to walking with a stick and then to having to use a wheelchair - in just nine months.

The illness also forced the 37-year-old mum-of-three to retire from her much-loved teaching career in January this year.

She said: "I worry about what MS is going to do if it continues at this current rate of progression."

Stacey describes the wheelchair she uses as more of a mobility scooter as she says: "I don't have the strength to propel a chair due to my left arm weakening - and I need help to bathe, dress and can barely write."

Big-hearted friends and family are now frantically trying to raise £50,000 so she can travel to Mexico in September for potentially life-changing HSCT treatment which aims to rest the immune system and stop it from attacking the central nervous system.

Patients around the world have reportedly achieved excellent results after travelling to centres in Mexico and Russia for the treatment which involves harvesting and freezing stem cells from the bone marrow or blood, administration of chemotherapy to wipe out the patient's blood cells and infusion of thawed stem cells to reset the immune system.

Stacey said: "I feel HSCT abroad is my only hope left to fight against the rapid onslaught of my MS and its devastating effects on my body and my family."

Big-hearted students at The Kingswinford School helped to kickstart the fundraising - raising £1,000 from a mufti-day on March 24 which was held jointly for Comic Relief and Stacey's Crowdfunding page.

Hugely grateful, she said she was "absolutely overwhelmed" at the response from her former students and she added: "The amount of money they have raised is absolutely fantastic and has blown me away.

"I have had so many donations and lovely messages from former students and parents who are supporting me and my family.

"The students have seen first-hand the devastating effects of MS and have seen me go from being able-bodied to being in a wheelchair. Their response was both heartbreaking and heart-mending at the same time.

"They always looked after me in the classroom and helped me with their genuine kindness and support. I am so proud of them and to have been a teacher at The Kingswinford School - they are an amazing bunch of young people and I miss them very much."

A charity testimonial rugby match is also being held at Stourbridge Rugby Football Club on May 7 to raise funds for Stacey, who is married to Stourton Park star Robbie Hurrell - former first team captain at the club.

The game will see a Stourbridge Dream Team, comprising many current and ex-favourites including Ben Gerry, Jordan Page, Sam Robinson, Tom Richardson, Sam Baker and Robbie's brother - Premiership Bristol star Will Hurrell, taking on the Barbarians XV - featuring Chris Hallam (Doncaster), Mark Woodrow (England 7’s), Junior Fatialofa (Exeter/Bristol), Alex Grove (Scotland), Nic Rouse (London Irish) and Chris Smith (NZ U21’s).

There will also be family fun, craft stalls and an all-day bar at the event which kicks off at 3pm.

Nearly £10,000 has already been pledged to Stacey's Crowdfunding page thanks to the support she's received but there's still £40,000 to raise by July 11.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stacey-hurrell.