Family hope fundraiser can give son ‘normal life’
A LOVING family is aiming to raise as much money as they can to provide a normal life for their son, who was once warned he could die from a rare disease.
Sandra Gregory has launched a fundraiser for her nephew, George Leishman on behalf of the family, as the 21-year-old continues to battle through health issues.
George, who lives in Catrine, was initially taken to Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow in 2013, when he was just 11 years old.
There, he was diagnosed with Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis (MPGN), which is a rare progressive disease where the body’s immune system attacks the kidney.
Since then, George has battled through numerous trials and tribulations, including multiple transplants and, unfortunately, subsequent kidney failures.
Heading into one operation, George was told that there was a possibility that he could die during the procedure.
Despite all that he’s gone through, George remains upbeat and positive, and keeps a smile on his face at all times.
Sandra said: “He’s such a happy young man and he’s bravely trying to get through this as best he can.
“He loves his cars and his dogs and he just wants to be able to live a bit of a normal
life. He wants to buy his own car one day, which would help him travel to and from the hospital when he can.
“When he recovers he will need haemodialysis, due to the damage that has been done to his abdomen already.
“He’ll probably have to travel to hospital around three times a week, which will obviously affect his ability to hold down a job or go to college, and because his immune system will be weaker, he’ll need to be careful how he travels and gets around.”
George, originally from Cumnock, went through a transplant on New Year’s Eve and has been in hospital since.
Although he is still reliant on dialysis, George’s family members are hopeful that they’ll be able to get him home once he is strong enough.
However, George’s flat currently has dampness issues which would affect his health at this stage.
The fundraiser has already amassed over £4,500 from generous donations, which will go towards helping George to live as normal a life as he possibly can.
Sandra continued: “We are very fortunate and grateful that we’ve still got him and he’s here to tell the tale.
“We’ve recently found out that he’s in a damp flat, so we need to replace all of his things in there.
“This money will go towards things like this and helping George to have a chance at a normal life, which is something that most people will take for granted.
“We just have to take things one day at a time and it will all depend on how George recovers and being able to get his strength back.”
George’s auntie added: “The support we’ve had as a family really has blown us away and we’re so appreciative of the donations, because we know this is such a hard time for a lot of people.
“We’ve been taken aback a bit by all the shares and the comments and the donations.
“George has seen a lot of them and he wanted to pass on his thanks as well.
“Hopefully we can get him fit and back home as soon as we can.”
You can support Sandra’s fundraiser on behalf of George by going to www.gofundme.com/f/a-chance-atlife-for-george.