Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Funding target achieved
Family of Anakin look ahead to charity night for hospital
THE family of a young boy with a rare kidney condition have smashed their fundraising target ahead of a special charity night tomorrow.
Stephen Forbes, whose son Anakin was diagnosed with congenital nephrotic syndrome just days after his birth in May 2017, initially aimed to raise the money along with his family to buy a specialised dialysis chair for his son.
But Stephen said: “We have well exceeded our initial target but we are still looking to raise as much as possible.
“Anything extra we raise will go to the ward that Anakin is being treated in.”
And the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where Anakin has been receiving treatment, is already planning to put the money to good use. Stephen said: “The hospital are going to get the dialysis chair and they are also looking to maybe buy a projector so the kids can watch things through that.
“A lot of the TVs do not work and are expensive to fix so the projector would be handy.”
The fundraising efforts have taken on an even greater significance as young Anakin has recently undergone major surgery to remove both his kidneys just a fortnight ago.
Although the two-year-old is doing well now, Stephen admitted the surgery has taken a lot out of his son. He said: “He will be on dialysis for a minimum of four times a week now.
“He is still in hospital in Glasgow at the moment and there is no sign of him getting home.”
But a special night is set to be held tomorrow at the David Lloyd Dundee in Monifieth to raise cash for the hospital.
Stephen said: “Preparations for the night have gone really well.
“Most of the tickets have been sold already and we have quite a few donations for raffle prizes as well. We’ve managed to get a few football shirts from teams like Dundee United, Celtic and Rangers.”