Hundreds of truckers hit road to help Heidi
CONVOY RAISES FUNDS FOR FAMILY OF LITTLE GIRL FACING LIFE-CHANGING OPERATION
HUNDREDS of truckers hit the road to raise money for the family of a little girl facing a life-changing operation.
The huge convoy was watched by onlookers who stood on bridges over the M60 to take pictures and videos of the massive vehicles as they passed.
The drivers raised money to help the family of Heidi Patterson, from Salford.
The three-year-old suffered from severe complications at birth, resulting in her being diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy when she was eight months old.
She was later registered blind and suffers from hearing loss.
Now, Heidi needs a bilateral hip reconstruction surgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to improve her quality of life.
Her parents Sinead and Steven Patterson, from Walkden, are raising funds to pay for treatment to help their daughter recover after the operation.
They want to rent a hydrotherapy pool and hire a physiotherapist to help with her post-surgery recovery and would also like to rent a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help prepare her for the operation.
Their plight was brought to the attention of family friend Lee Davy, who was a regular visitor at truck shows before the Covid-19 pandemic began. He helped to organise a mass convoy of trucks for enthusiasts to enjoy – with people encouraged to donate to Heidi’s fundraiser.
At the final count, it is thought as many as 300 trucks took part in the convoy, with many vintage and specialist vehicles involved.
Steven said: “Lee just took it on himself to help us.
People we’ve never met have been driving, it was just truck after truck
Dad Steven Patterson
“He heard about Heidi’s cause. We don’t even know him that well, but he’s done so much for us. It’s really amazing.
“We’ve just been at Birch Services with all of the trucks going past. People we’ve never even met were driving, it was just truck after truck.
“People have really latched onto it. Truck shows were not something I’ve ever heard of before but this was great.”
Fundraising pages for Heidi have generated thousands in donations in the last week and Steven says any extra money raised will be used to buy equipment to help her move around when she gets home.
To donate to the Pattersons, click here or visit their Facebook page.