Raising dough for Starship
LIFE as the quality control director and chief stirrer at a chocolate chip biscuitmakers is tough when you are gluten intolerant.
It means Charlie Stevenson can’t tastetest the biscuits he and his mother are making to raise funds for Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.
‘‘I can’t taste them because I’m glutenfree.
‘‘But it doesn’t matter. My brothers and dad taste them for me,’’ Charlie said.
The 11yearold was diagnosed with a cardiac condition in June and is off school until he can have surgery at Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland.
He said life was pretty boring at home because he was unable to do anything that raised his heart rate.
So he and his mum Jen decided to participate in the Bake it Better for Starship fundraising campaign, to help keep him occupied and give him purpose.
Their initial target of $1000 was quickly outstripped, and now they have made enough cookies to raise more than $6000 for Starship.
Starship Foundation communications manager Jodie BakewellWhite said the Stevensons had taken the early lead in the fundraiser, and were more than $3000 ahead of the next best fundraiser at this stage.
Charlie has been thinking about what he could buy with $6000 — including milkshake machines and DVDs which kept him happy while he was in Dunedin Hospital.
But he is adamant the money should go to Starship because he wants to help other children like himself.
‘‘It’s a good cause.’’
Mrs Stevenson said she was blown away by the support they had received from the local community.
‘‘It just goes to show how many people there are out there who are thinking about Charlie and thinking about Starship.’’
Bake it Better for Starship is an annual campaign, now in its second year, raising vital funds to support children from around New Zealand, who need specialist care.
Funds raised this year will go to Starship’s National Children’s intensive care unit.
Charlie said he was looking forward to having his surgery because he would feel better afterwards, and be able to return to school and play sport with his friends again.
But more importantly, postsurgery, he would be able to eat all the ice cream he wanted.
It would make up for all the chocolate chip biscuits he had had to watch others eat, he said.