Donation helps Rafe smash fundraising target

Buy photos » Rafe Walker, 12, has reached his total with the help of Simon Butterfield, managing director of EIC, and staff. Picture by Marcus Mingins 4012013MMR

A BOY who was diagnosed with a brain tumour four years ago has raised over £30,000 to fund the work of the hospital which saved his life.

Rafe Walker passed the milestone on Monday (October 1) after being presented with a cheque for £500 from Redditch firm EIC based on Ravensbank Business Park.

The firm agreed to donate £1 for every business card they received at an industry event at the NEC and staff voted to give the money to Rafe's appeal for Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Managing director Simon Butterfield said: "We are very proud to support Rafe and his family. Their fundraising has been phenomenal and the money they have raised for Birmingham Children’s Hospital really will save lives. We look forward to hearing of Rafe’s progress and supporting him in future fundraising."

St Bede's Middle School pupil Rafe said he and his family had never imagined they would reach their target but following an appearance on ITV's Daybreak show over 18 months ago the fundraising had taken off rapidly.

But having reached the target the 12-year-old, who has to have scans every six months to check his tumour is not growing, has no plans to stop his fundraising.

"We always thought we'd raise a decent amount and we wanted to raise as much as we could and it's been awesome seeing what ideas people have come up with to raise money, like the business card idea, and to reach the target is fantastic," he told the Standard.

"We won't stop we'll just keep putting the target up and up and keep going. We've still got loads of ideas.

"The hospital saved my life and everyone there, especially Mr Solanki my neurosurgeon, have been unbelievable and I want to do all I can to get better equipment and research to help people like me but also those who are worse off than me."

Evidence of the difference people like Rafe are making can already be seen as when the Hunt End resident was diagnosed in 2008 the tumour was inoperable but surgeons say advances in technology and research mean if they need to take it out at some point in the future it is now an option.

Mum Liz added: "It shows how much things have changed even in the short space of time we've been fundraising. It started off as something to take our mind off it. We were using up a lot of energy being upset and sad, so it was our way of turning a negative into a positive."

To donate to the fund visit www.justgiving.com/rafesbrain. Visit www.rafesbrain.co.uk to follow Rafe's blog with updates on his progress or #Rafesbrain on Twitter.

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