A seriously-ill man’s old school friends, some he hasn’t seen for years, have made a pact to fund £30,000 needed to potentially transform his life.

Former Abbey School pupil Wayne Deane was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) in January 2012 and is now wheelchair-bound.

Simple things like walking, working and playing with his children are now out of reach for the 37-year-old.

A month ago, Wayne, of Charles Drayson Court, featured in the Faversham News as he set out to fund the £30,000 needed for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), only available in Russia, Israel, Mexico and the Philippines.

Since then, Wayne’s friends, family and even strangers have donated nearly £700.

Despite a number of risks, the MS Trust, based in the UK, has found that HSCT can reduce inflammation, reduce the number of relapses and slow down the progression of disability.

One of Wayne’s closest friends Leon Shepherd, who he has known since school, will next week swim three miles at Faversham Swimming Pool in a bid to raise at least £1,000 for his pal.

He says he sees Wayne as ‘like a brother’.

He said: “I’ve known Wayne since we were children. We grew up together, went to the same school and worked together until his diagnosis. He’s like a brother to me.

“This is just the start of my fundraising. I want to do as much as I can to make sure he gets the full amount he needs for the treatment.

“This is just the beginning.”

Leon will face the epic swim, expected to take him a number of hours, on Friday, September 25 from 10am.

It’s not just Leon doing his bit for the fund.

Frances Crawley and Toni Dobson, both who met Wayne at the Abbey School, set up two separate raffles at their place of work – there is one at the Co-op in Forbes Road and one in the new shop Heather’s in Preston Street.

"This is just the start of my fundraising. I want to do as much as I can to make sure he gets the full amount he needs for the treatment." - Leon Shepherd

Another pal photographer Danny Harris took and framed a photograph and is auctioning it off.

Sara Kirby is organising a dinner and dance at the Alexander Centre at Christmas.

Wayne said: “It’s amazing that they have all arranged these fundraising things and it is also great when I have had strangers who don’t even know me donate.

“We’ve got a long way to go but I’m confident we can do this.

“It’s nice to feel so wanted.”

To donate to Wayne’s fund click here