£5k raised to help dad with months to live
GENEROUS friends and family have raised over £5,000 to help a family create some precious memories for a dad with just months to live.
The money has been donated on a crowd-funding page set by Jenny Dobbin, a colleague of Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedic and former soldier Dave Oates.
He was diagnosed in June with Motor Neurone Disease, a condition affecting the brain and nerves which gets worse over time.
Dave, 48, and his wife Sam, 50, have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity and have booked a family holiday to Spain with their son Ned, 13.
There are also plans for ‘ male bonding’ get-togethers for Dave and Ned, including racing down a huge zip-line in Wales.
But Dave’s big dream – a night out watching Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi – is looking unlikely as he can’t get hold of any tickets.
Colleagues and friends have been trying without success to get tickets to see Capaldi who is one of Dave’s favourite singer-songwriters.
“We tried to get tickets to see him in Sheffield in December but they have all sold out.
“Tickets on some online sites are absolutely extortionate and you can’t guarantee they are even real. I wouldn’t want to go and be turned away.”
Friends have been repeatedly tweeting Capaldi because time is running out for Dave as he was recently told he has a type of MND which progresses rapidly.
“Dave was diagnosed in June and in August was told he has rapidonset Motor Neurone Disease,” said Sam.
“Dave can’t drive now and his speech isn’t very good. He cannot use his hands. It started with a twitch on his right arm which he thought was Sam and Dave Oates and (right) friends and family have unsuccessfully being trying to get tickets for Dave to see singer Lewis Capaldi in concert
muscular. Then he had the twitch in both arms. Then, quite rapidly, his speech went.
“Now he struggles to get his words out.”
Sam, who met Dave, a former soldier, during a paramedic course in 2003 and later married, described the online fundraising as “absolutely overwhelming.”
“Everybody has been so kind and helpful. We have had some fantastic family support too.
“When Jenny set up the fundrais
ing page, Dave was having a bad week. Within 10 minutes the page had raised £500 and we thought ‘wow’.
“Dave doesn’t have a ‘bucket list’ as all he’s ever wanted to do is help other people. He’s been brought up in a Christian household where he was taught to help other people.
Sam, who formerly worked alongside Dave at Brighouse ambulance station, said her husband had been given a short prognosis which could be measured in months rather than years. “We are devastated. All we can do is make the most of it.”
She added: “The fundraising started by Jenny has been overwhelming. We didn’t realise Dave was so liked.”
Jenny, an ambulance service colleague from Huddersfield, said: “Dave is a fantastic bloke, a great paramedic and has mentored many ambulance staff over the years.”
She added: “At his most recent assessment we were devastated to hear that he has been diagnosed with rapid bulbar MND.
“This means his deterioration will be quick, not giving him years as previously thought, but months.
“We want to raise as much money as possible to help Dave make memories for him and his family.”
To visit the JustGiving page, go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/daveoates999. 16
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