Workers are urged to embrace Colour For Connor on Friday, November 29, to help give a bright young boy from Westgate the best possible chance of beating a rare muscle wasting disease.

The invitation for businesses and organisations to participate comes from the family of Connor Olsen, four, who has duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Colour For Connor is being staged as a non-uniform day in the workplace with a brightly coloured theme.

Connor’s mum Georgina said: “We hope this will be rather like a non-school uniform day, where staff go to work dressed in bright colours or more unusual clothes and make a donation. They could perhaps hold a raffle or organised a cake sale. We would be pleased to have their photographs afterwards to use on our website.”

Connor’s large Thanet family and their many friends are throwing their weight into the Caring For Connor Campaign (CFCC) which they started after Connor was diagnosed with DMD in March. The first signs were when he had difficulty climbing stairs at Piggybank Nursery in Westgate. Other symptoms have been that he falls down more than is normal and tires easily.

Mrs Olsen said CFCC can supply Colour For Connor participants with support and encouragement, including wristbands to sell, flyers to distribute, collection boxes and balloons.

There is a grim outlook for boys diagnosed with DMD. It is likely that they will be in a wheelchair by the age of 10 and they are not generally expected to live beyond 20.

But as research is developed all the time with some great breakthroughs in America for other young boys affected, the Olsen’s want to be sure there is funding to support any treatment if and when it becomes available for Connor. An initial single treatment of one of the latest, most advanced cutting edge medications, on its own costs £11,000.

In just the first five months of launching CFCC, supporters raised £5,000.

Meanwhile Connor has made a great start at St Crispin’s Infants School and his family want to thank all the many people who have helped so far.

Mrs Olsen said: “We are so grateful and appreciate all the hard work and efforts that people have made for Connor. They all mean such a lot.”

Connor’s diagnosis has been particularly tough on Georgina and husband Wayne because both Connor and baby brother Kye arrived after the couple had been through the challenges of IVF treatment.

For more details about the Caring For Connor Campaign, visit the page on Facebook. If you would like to help, email: caring4connor@gmail.com