The crusade to help little Oliver Dickey walk has taken a dramatic leap forward after a charitable trust in dear old Coleraine chucked a cheque for £15,000 into his bucket. You read that right.
The breathtaking donation has taken the total amount collected by the Wee Oliver Walk Fund to almost £50,000 with money from a rolling programme of events keeping the total racing towards its £60,000 target. You read that right too.
In case you've been in hiding since New Year's Day when 5-year-old Oliver's fundraising campaign was launched, the wee man was diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, when he was just 18 months old and is confined to a wheelchair. But a surgical procedure available at St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri should offer him the chance to take his first ever steps - followed by many more.
In a statement issued this morning, the trust said: “The fundraising campaign has been a shining beacon of hope for Oliver and as a cross-denominational trust we felt compelled to support the family with this significant donation.
“Everyone in the community has been
touched by Oliver’s story. We have been impressed by the humility of Oliver’s
parents, Charlene and Neil, and their inspirational campaign. We hope our
donation will encourage the community to support the family in their
fundraising efforts and pray that Oliver’s surgery in America will be
successful and allow him to walk and play like his classmates.”
Speaking on behalf of the Dickey family, mum Charlene paid tribute to the trustees for signing-off such a big cheque for their little man. “For the first time, we are
starting to believe that Oliver will get access to the treatment he needs and have the chance to walk," she said.
“We still have some way to go before
we reach our target, but no one will stop working until we get there. Thank you
again to everyone who has donated so far and please keep giving what you can.”
You can do just that by clicking onto THIS LINK.
Who said Mondays were depressing?
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| Charlene and Oliver Dickey |
