Friends have ball to help save Sam
ACOCKTAIL ball raised £37,500 to help a mum who is waiting for a lifesaving operation in America.
Samantha Smith, aged 32, from Smithy Bridge, is in Arizona awaiting surgery to fuse her spine from the base of her spine through to her mid-back.
The mum-of-two suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome – a group of rare, inherited conditions that affect connective tissue – and Craniocervical Instabilty – a secondary condition which can cause deformation of the brainstem, upper spinal cord, and cerebellum.
She was scheduled to have the surgery on Friday, January 25, but the procedure was cancelled because Barclays flagged the transaction to pay for costs as fraudulent activity – despite her pre-warning the bank that the payment was going to happen.
The hospital cancelled the surgery just hours before it was due to go ahead, as Samantha was unable to provide the funds within the 10-minute time limit, and as a result she lost the date and has to wait for it to be rescheduled.
Samantha and her family have been taking some time to ‘ground’ themselves by exploring the Arizonan countryside while they wait for another date for surgery and, although Samantha says that Barclays have informed her that they will provide compensation, with the added costs incurred through having to extend their stay, she needs funds raised by her supporters more than ever.
The Save Samantha Ball, held in Rochdale Town Hall’s Great Hall, included a three-course meal and music from ‘singer to the stars’ Cole Page, and 10-piece soul band The Soul Federation, while Laramedia took photographs and video.
An auction of prizes including signed sporting memorabilia, Take That tickets, helicopter rides, restaurant vouchers and a £2,000 jewellery voucher, raised more than £24,000, while additional donations brought the total raised to £37,543.50.
Louise Rothwell, one of the event organisers, said: “The Save Samantha Ball was an amazing night, and went above what we had initially anticipated.
“The idea started with a suggestion in a local pub.
“The night was organised in approximately 10 weeks so it was a mammoth task to organise in such a short amount of time.
“The Save Samantha team are an amazing group and with everyone’s joint efforts we achieved what we wanted to and more. There have been so many people who have kindly contributed to the night.
“The fundraising will continue so that Samantha and her family can ensure that she can recover and rehabilitate fully.”
Barclays would not comment on whether they would provide compensation but a spokesman said “We are in contact with Miss Smith to make sure that she is provided with all the support needed to proceed with the surgery.
“We are yet to receive any further payment instructions and Miss Smith has a dedicated point of contact available 24/7 to ensure any future payments are fast tracked.
“We wish Miss Smith well with her surgery and a speedy return to full health.”