A fund to send a ‘lovable’ little girl battling cancer and her family on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Disney World has already raised £7,000.
And there is more to come with the help of events and art by notorious prison inmate Charles Bronson.
Four-year-old Olivia Phillips’ parents Louise Ashcroft, 35 and Jon Phillips, 40 from Little Sutton received the devastating news that she had cancer last month. She has two brothers, Liam, 14, and Ryan, 5.
The plight of Olivia, said at one time to be extremely poorly in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after her first chemotherapy treatment for hepatoblastoma, a rare tumour that originates in the liver, touched hearts across the town.
Friends and family rallied round and fundraising began in earnest with family friends Sarah Tattersall and Kate Hodgenia setting up a Justgiving page which quickly passed the £5,000 mark with one anonymous donation of £1,000.
That is set to reach £6,000 with other fundraising having a huge boost of £1,051 from a car wash at the Woodland on Chester Road, Whitby.
Car wash organiser Jo Foster said: “No words can describe how grateful I am. Everyone pulled together and worked so hard non-stop.
“Thank you so much to everyone who came along to support us, people just walking past or stopping in their cars to donate, you are all truly amazing people and I can’t thank you all enough.”
Dad Jon added: “I can’t believe it. So overwhelmed with all the support for us all. From the bottom of my heart I can’t thank you all enough.”
Meanwhile Mark Peterson, a former family friend of Charles Bronson, has donated a piece of art by the 62-year-old who has a long history of violence. He was originally jailed for an armed robbery in Little Sutton in 1974.
Mr Peterson said: “I sent this cracking piece of art for a four year old girl from Ellesmere Port who is tragically suffering from cancer. Check out her Facebook page Olivia’s Story and feel free to make a bid on the art.
“I was initially gutted when Charlie and I parted company. I no longer have the art he’s sent me over the years on my walls and never will again as I no longer consider him my brother. So I’m proud to give it away to charities and good causes like young Olivia. I hope she makes a speedy recovery.”
Mr Peterson suggests ‘it’s easily worth £250+’. The auction is on November 22.
Olivia remains in Alder Hey where she is being cared for ahead of her second chemotherapy treatment.
A fundraising day has been confirmed on Sunday, November 22 at the Vauxhall Social Club. Doors open from noon to 4pm with a boys charity football match involving Vauxhall’s under 9s at 11am.
Wirral Riding Centre is to hold an auction on December 6 at the Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel & Spa and the previous day over 100 horse riders are set to ride 10 miles of the Wirral Way.
