THE Frome community has launched a fierce fundraising campaign for a 13 year-old boy from Frome who urgently needs cancer treatment.
Family and friends of Daryl Allinson have started a fundraising campaign for the teenager who has a rare form of leukaemia, to raise £80,000-£100,000 to pay for urgent treatment.
Daryl is thought to be the only child in the UK with the rare condition, Leukaemia – Atypical CML Monomonasomie 7 and GATA 2 and although he received a bone marrow transplant from his brother last year which was thought to have been successful, Daryl has been told he has relapsed and because he had already previously received chemotherapy, further funding for treatment wasn’t available from the NHS.
But local schools and businesses across Frome have been rallying round to support a fund-raising campaign. At Selwood Academy in Frome where Daryl goes to school, staff and pupils have organised various events to raise money. Most recently, the school held a ‘mufti-day’ and raised £2,472 for the appeal, with donations still coming in.
School headteacher, Jean Hopegood said, “Daryl is an incredibly special boy. Earlier this year he delivered an assembly to the whole school on making the most of each day and the power of positivity. He talked of overcoming barriers with resilience, a smile and how much he understands the value of friendships. Such wise words from one so young.
“For all of us who know him, he is truly an inspiration. Today I wear a Chelsea top to make him laugh as I know he understands my difficulty with this as a Hopegood, a family devoted to Bristol City.
“I need to thank not just our Selwood children, parents and governors, but each and every individual who is contributing to this fund. I know that Daryl’s family are totally overwhelmed by the response which has been global, and I have been asked to convey their thanks especially to the Frome schools community and to the people of this very special town who have donated so generously. You really cannot put a price on life, but if we reach the target we can give hope.”
Berkley CofE First School, St John’s CEVA First School, Trinity First School and Christ Church CofE First School also took part in the ‘mufti-day’ – Berkley School raised £315, St John’s School and Trinity School raised over £1,000 and Christ Church CofE raised £640.
Headteacher of Christ Church First School, Rupert Kaye said, “Daryl was a pupil at our school until 2012 and staff and pupils have fond memories of his time here. When a parent asked if we would like to be part of the fundraising, we didn’t hesitate.
“We’ve all been moved by Daryl’s story and all want to make a difference in any way we can. You might think there would be a sense of fundraising fatigue as the academic year comes to an end, but that just wasn’t the case. £640 is a phenomenal amount and the response was outstanding, especially considering we are a relatively small school.”
Boots in Frome also showed their support, raising over £600 from a fancy dress day.
Charmaine Capewell, dispenser at the store, initiated the collection after seeing the appeal on Facebook.
The Original Factory Shop in Frome collected £58 for the appeal. Store supervisor Aimee Massey said, “After we heard about Daryl’s story and how the NHS has refused to fund his treatment, we wanted to do something as a team and join the rest of the community in raising some funds to help a local boy with his battle with cancer.”
Eyetech Opticians also got involved and wore pyjamas for the day, collecting £75 for the appeal.
Asda in Frome raised £2804.30 on Saturday 25th June from bucket collecting, bag packing, balloon modelling and a ‘mufti day.’
The charity Time is Precious has also joined the campaign.
Founder of the charity, Nicky Halford said, “A group of people came together last week to form a fundraising group supported by Time Is Precious and Coleford Revival Group, in aid of Daryl Allinson.
“We have set up a Foundation, which we have named ‘Rite 2 Life’ and to start it off, £5,000 was donated from the company CPM and £1,000 from Hayward Transport in the West Midlands.
“We have arranged an auction night at the Coleford Legion on 30th July. Tickets are on sell for £5 which includes entry into a cash prize draw. There will be music and entertainment from Bilbo Baggins and The Dark Destroyers.”
Daryl’s aunt, Stephanie Townend, who set up the fundraising page, told the Frome Times, “When we found out that Daryl had relapsed, the consultant advised us that if Daryl did not receive another form of aggressive chemo and a second bone marrow transplant, he would have between 2 – 12 months to live. There are no alternatives to this treatment and it’s what has been recommended by his consultant and other consultants nationwide.
“The fundraising is going brilliantly, the support from everyone has been overwhelming. The local community, not just Frome, but all of the surrounding areas and towns, has been amazing. The family are so thankful for everyone’s kind words and generosity.”
You can donate to the appeal by visiting https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/stephanie-townend?utm_id=107&utm_term=BnMajAKMY
