More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Generous Islanders have helped to raise almost £2,000 in a
fortnight for a brave toddler who has a deadly cancer.
Two-year-old Oliver Smith is battling the aggressive childhood
cancer neuroblastoma and his family are hoping to raise £150,000
for treatment in Germany which he will need if he has a
relapse.
Last week we reported how a fund set up to raise the money,
which was on £795 when we printed the story, had reached
£1,388.
A week later the total has risen yet again, thanks to the
generosity of our readers.
When we went to press this week, the total stood at £2,669.
That figure does not include more money which has been put in
collection buckets around the Island and has not been counted
yet.
As well as donations, many of our readers have decided to
organise their own fundraising events to help towards the appeal,
and since we published the first story two weeks ago, we have been
inundated with people giving donations in the office.
Hundreds of pounds has also been donated online, and many people
have given their money straight to the bank for Oliver, of Coral
Road, Minster.
St Edward’s Primary School in Sheerness held a non-uniform day
to raise money for the appeal, and last week the Red Lion pub in
Blue Town organised a charity football match.
Money from both these events is yet to be counted.
Someone who was touched by Oliver’s story enough to do her own
fundraising is mum-of-two Krystal Pearce.
She has organised a football fun day for Sunday, July 17, which
will include a charity match, a raffle, games, jumble sale and
more.
It will take place at the New Road playing field in Sheerness,
from 11am to 5pm and anyone is welcome.
It is free to get in but donations will be welcome and all money
will go towards Oliver’s appeal.
Krystal, 24, from Sheerness, said: “I’ve got two young children
and it broke my heart to see Oliver in the paper and what his mum
is going through.
“It could have been my son and I would hope people would do the
same for me.”
Another fundraiser is Pepe Kaur, who runs the art charity Free
Spirit. Every year she holds a party for children in need, and this
year Oliver will be one of the youngsters to benefit.
This year’s party will take place on Sunday, September 25, at
Tiny Tim’s Tea Rooms in High Street, Rochester.
There will be live music, a magician, karate, creative
activities and fun and games as well as free food and drink.
Anyone is welcome to go along to the fundraiser. Oliver’s mum
Natalie said she was overwhelmed by the response. She said: “It’s
been absolutely great and I never dreamed of this sort of
response.”
Oliver’s mum Natalie is a member of Families Against
Neuroblastoma, which is a charity that aims to support families and
fund research.
The £150,000 Natalie is trying to raise is to pay for a trip to
Germany for treatment which Oliver will need if he has a
relapse.
There is an 80-95 per cent chance of this happening.
If Oliver has a relapse in the brain, he would have to go to
America for treatment and the final bill would be closer to
£300,000.
Natalie wants to raise the money now so that if Oliver does
relapse, they can go straight away rather than have a last-minute
panic to raise the money.
If he does not need the money, it will be distributed to a cause
related to neuroblastoma of Natalie’s choice.
The Oliver Smith Appeal is already set to benefit from four
fundraising events which have been organised.
