Celebrities’ support for family appeal
ATOWN is rallying behind an appeal set up in aid of a much-liked delivery driver who had his leg amputated on his 40th birthday after developing sepsis.
Dave Cram, also known as Kenny, lost his leg after being struck down by the deadly infection after a game of football.
Fundraising, supported by celebrities including Blackburn Rovers legend Colin Hendry and Olly Murs, has collected more than £32,000 already, including in Great Harwood where Dave was their parcel delivery man for a number of years and is fondly remembered.
The dad-of-one, who lives in Blackpool and still delivered to homes in the Ribble Valley before his illness, suffered a minor injury during a game of football in a Sunday league match earlier this month. Despite initially suffering from just a ‘sore groin’, the following morning he awoke with ‘excruciating’ leg pain and flu-like symptoms, causing him to rush to hospital in agony with his wife Keeley.
A JustGiving page, written by a family member, says: “There they were told the devastating news that he had an infection, and it was sepsis and he was attached to an antibiotic drip.”
“It’s completely destroyed his body from top to bottom,” said one family member.
After a couple of days family were told that he was in septic shock and that his kidneys were failing. He was put on double dialysis but his liver also showed signs of damage. As his condition worsened Kenny’s leg swelled up and cut off the supply to the rest of his body, causing the tissue to die off.
Despite the best efforts of the doctors, Kenny had suffered multiple organ failure and on January 14 he went into cardiac arrest three times.
The page adds: “After further attempts to clean the infection and dead tissue out of his leg, on Thursday , January 16 – 11 days after first straining his muscle and, on what was Kenny’s 40th birthday when he should have been out celebrating with his family and friends - it was decided that his leg was too badly damaged and had to be amputated. His family had to make the decision for him to undergo a life-saving hip disarticulation surgery to remove his entire left leg; a surgery that he might not survive...but Kenny pulled through.”
The family says that his condition is better but that he has a “long way to go”.
A JustGiving fundraiser to help improve Kenny’s quality of life when he is well enough to leave hospital, states: “Before this happened, Kenny was a fit and healthy 39-year-old who had an active job delivering packages for DPD and running round after his five-year old daughter, Robyn Ava, who he adores. He’s loved football since he was a small child and played regular Sunday League football. He is a HUGE football fan who supports Chelsea FC and loves going to the pub to watch the games with his mates.”
Katherine Turner, a regular customer of Dave’s and a friend through a family member, told the Observer: “He’s been delivering to me for over six years and I see him almost every day. Everyone knows him in Great Harwood still. I know a lot of people like Dave. He’s the type of guy that if he goes to your workplace and you’re not there he will take it to your house. Everyone just really wanted to help because he’s such a likeable guy and especially with him having a little girl everyone empathised.
Great Harwood residents can drop donations, raffle prizes and cards to Gareth’s Florist, on Queen’s Street, and Cafe on the River, at Old Coal Staithe. The Beach Hut Play and Party Centre, on Park Road, is also among outlets that have offered to sell raffle tickets when available.
A fundraising event will also be held in the near future and anyone wishing to donate raffle prizes can contact Laura Harvie on lauraharvie100@ gmail.com
Donations can be made by visiting JustGiving.com and searching for ‘Laura Harvie’.