All he wants for xmas is...an electric wheelchair

[jarod5369 10]

In tonight's Star there is a story about Ben Naylor - a nine-year-old boy from Walkley who has spina bifida.

 

Last year Ben inspired The Star's Give Ben A Lift campaign to raise £30,000 for a lift at Rivelin School, Morley Street, so disabled children and adults can get around the three-storey school in wheelchairs. (Without it Ben, who has been at Rivelin since he was four-years-old, would have had to move to a school in Oughtibridge. He has hydracephalous (water-on-the-brain) so the change would have affected him badly. Needless to say Sheffield Council wouldn't cough up for the lift!)

 

Fortunately generous Sheffield folk supported him and in February the lift was installed - a success story!

 

But recently doctors discovered Ben had pre-cancerous cells on his bowel.

Today (Monday) he has had a major operation at Sheffield Children's Hospital to remove his bowel.

 

To help the family their friends want to raise £2,000 for an electric wheelchair - Ben's Christmas wish.

 

On Saturday 10th December they have orgainsed a fundraising night at The Spotsman, 100 Walkley Bank Road, Walkley (my pub).

 

There will be a children's party between 6pm and 8pm and live music (50s, 60s, and 70s) from guitar duo The Two Tones from 9pm.

 

To raise cash there will be a raffle, competitions and an auction with prizes including a signed Sheffield Utd shirt, tickets to see Wednesday, and a signed Everton ball with Wayne Rooney's signature. Oher pledges of help have already come from Owlerton stadium and the Hallam FM arena.

 

All forum members are welcome to come along and meet Ben on the 10th and show their support.

(Any other offers of help/donations will be gratefully accepted! - Post here or PM me)

 

Here's hoping we can make Ben's wish come true!

[user10239 10]

and he deserves peoples help more than any other child with similar problems why?

 

I don't understand these media frenzies over single children. Surely giving that amount to a childrens charity to be distributed fairly is a better idea?

[jarod5369 10]

You are welcome to your opinion Carl_Malibu, but this family have had to fight for everything for Ben over the last nine years and we think it is about time somebody helps them.

(To make things worse in this case Ben's parents, Tracey and Julian, and his five-year-old sister Lauren are also having to go for tests because the cancer is genetic.)

 

If you do not want to support them that is up to you.

I am confident there will be people in Sheffield who will want to help.

 

And for your information I know a number of people who work for charities and can assure you not all of the money you give reaches the good causes it is intended for. A lot is tied up in admin costs and expenses.

I can assure you every penny given for Ben's chair will be spent on his wheelchair, and if there is any left over it will be given to the spina bifida charity which has supported his family since he was born, and thousands of others too.

[user10239 10]

I just don't understand why some people are entitled to more than others, thats all.

 

Don't get me wrong I'm not telling people not to give money to this appeal, I just don't understand really.

[jarod5369 10]

and I don't understand how you can begrudge this family a bit of support from their friends and well wishers.

 

I also don't think you appreciate the impact of looking after a child with spina bifida, and the daily battles this family face.

 

guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

(see Star story http://www.sheffieldtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=1253253)

[markg 10]

Carl, don't be a to**er. If it was your kid you would probably do something similar if you couldn't afford the wheelchair. Although if he was yours he would still only be one single kid so perhaps you wouldn't bother

[GabbleRatcht 10]

Originally posted by Carl_Malibu

I just don't understand why some people are entitled to more than others, thats all.

 

Don't get me wrong I'm not telling people not to give money to this appeal, I just don't understand really.

 

Carl, no one is entitled to anymore than anyone else. Maybe the way you are phrasing your question is the problem.

 

Maybe we have a group of people here, including the same youngers as what this little chap suffers from, that have been assesed as a low priority on Public Money.

 

Hence, it is up to people that know him and his family to do what they can to make his life better.

 

And I'm sure this happens with many other diseases.

 

I wish everyone could be helped. I really do.

 

But the public purse is not bottomless. Although where all our tax on petrol, fags and booze goes is beyond me!

 

In fact, it's just over the horizon in Iraq.

 

Let's do what we can do make a differance in the here and now. Try to make a differance through the ballot box next time.

 

Not that we are given many choices

 

Hope your event is very sucessful BTW:D

[Bic0 10]

Part of original post by jarod5369

--I know a number of people who work for charities and can assure you not all of the money you give reaches the good causes it is intended for. A lot is tied up in admin costs and expenses.

I can assure you every penny given for Ben's chair will be spent on his wheelchair, and if there is any left over it will be given to the spina bifida charity which has supported his family since he was born, and thousands of others too.

Personally, I'd sooner give to a cause where the fund-raisers do it voluntarily and don't take a cut of the money raised, rather than contribute towards an all-encompassing charity where the organisers definitely do take a cut of the total donated.

 

As the Sportsman, on Walkley Bank Road is accepting donations for Ben, it won't hurt to call in when I'm next passing and drop a couple of quid off... I'd far rather do that than entrust my money to some faceless organisation that uses part of it to pay its' employees... Handsomely too, in some cases!

[Hels 10]

I remember last years appeal for the lift and the difficulties Ben would face if he had to move to another school.

 

From what I can see, if all the money raised went directly to a National charity, Ben would not get the things that will improve his quality of life, things that a lot of people take for granted.

 

Jarod, I won't be able to make it to the pub, but I will pop a donation in the post. Can you give me the full address and who a cheque should be made payable to in order for it to get directly to Ben/Ben's family?

 

Also, I used to sell Virgin Vie cosmetics and have some stock in my spare room. If you can collect, then I can make up a gift collection/gift basket as a raffle prize if you're interested?

 

I hope you get a good response and plenty of people turn up.

[Kristian 11]

Originally posted by Hels

Also, I used to sell Virgin Vie cosmetics and have some stock in my spare room. If you can collect, then I can make up a gift collection/gift basket as a raffle prize if you're interested?

 

To me, that's what the SF is all about; people from different backgrounds and not knowing each other reaching out to each other!

 

God Bless you Hels and other like-minded people!

[Deavon 10]

Originally posted by Kristian

To me, that's what the SF is all about; people from different backgrounds and not knowing each other reaching out to each other!

 

God Bless you Hels and other like-minded people!

 

Could you make this thread stick for a bit Mr K?

[roobarbpie 10]

I live round the corner and have put it on my calender. See you there.