Blake’s mother ‘speechless’ as £200k is raised

THE mum of a Tayside youngster battling a rare disease says she is speechless after a fundraising night pulled in £200,000 — 16 times the amount she expected.

Blake McMillan, five, from Carnoustie, suffers from MECP2 duplication syndrome, which prevents him from walking, talking or eating, and means he needs round-the-clock care.

Only a few hundred people across the globe suffer from the condition with mum Jenny on a mission to raise funds to find a cure.

A fundraising night was held at Dundee’s Apex Hotel where it was expected about £12,000 would be donated by generous members of the public.

However, Jenny was “reduced to tears” after friends Claire McCartney Urquhart and Mark Urquhart brought t he pot up t o £75,000 by doubling the amount raised, before Lotto winner Gillian Bayford added an incredible £125,000.

Jenny said: “I’m still in shock. Blake has inspired so many people to do so many good things.

“He is an incredible little boy who has captured hearts.

“All night, photos of him were on the big screen and I loved looking at him and knowing that he did this.

“I can’t wait to go to tell him about it.

“I am over the moon and so glad that I can finally stop fundraising so much and sit back and enjoy being mum to my beautiful two children.

“I can’t thank everyone enough.”

The amount raised now means the total needed for finishing Dr Huda Zoghbi’s research into the disease has been surpassed, with a significant sum left over for Jenny to take Blake to Houston for the clinical trials.