Staff at the Co-operative food store in Locks Heath baked cakes to raise funds for a three-year-old who needs a £50,000 operation in America to enable him to walk.
More than 50 cupcakes, fruitcakes and large treats and biscuits were baked to perfection and bought by shoppers at the store in Centre Way raising £340 for little Harvey Young.
The youngster who lives in Titchfield Common and suffers spastic diplegia, needs £50,000 for the selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) operation in Missouri and gym equipment for intense physiotherapy following the surgery. It will involve cutting the nerves at the bottom of Harvey’s spine to remove the spasticity and overworking of the nerve signals to his leg muscles.
His parents Nick and Natalie, of Bellflower Way, were delighted by the workers’ efforts.
“We do come to this place at least once a week, so it’s really nice of them to do this,” said Nick. “It’s so overwhelming.”
So far around £6,000 has been raised for the toddler and many more events are to take place over the next few months before the operation, which it is hoped will be in June or July, including more cake sales, quizzes, raffles, marathons and Nick and family members will be climbing the three peaks – the UK’s largest mountains.
Around 20 staff from at the Co-operative were involved in baking and decorating the treats. The cakes were flying off the stall shelf, before the guests of honour even arrived!
Harvey’s allergy to dairy products meant he could not have a cake himself, but he picked out a few for his parents to enjoy.
Debbie Pack, a team leader at the store, which organised the fundraiser, said: “We do the general charity of the year fundraisers, as well as some local ones. As they’re regulars in here and it’s a worthy cause we decided off our own back to do this to raise funds.”