A fundraiser launched to provide life-saving treatment for the son of a Travel Counsellor, Kelly Durrington, has smashed its target of £10,000.
The Gofundme was set up by Kelly’s colleague Laura Boulton to raise money for 14-year-old Kian who needs stem cell treatment, which isn’t available on the NHS.
He’s already had three doses of the treatment, since he was just seven-years-old, which have extended his life by seven years.
Laura explained that Kian, who was a premature baby, had several issues from birth including two holes in his heart, a bleed on his brain and sepsis. He was resuscitated three times in his first 10 days.
He has since been tested for genetic conditions, but he has been given no diagnosis. “They believe he is one of a kind,” said Laura.
“Kian’s condition causes multiple complex needs and he also has autism, ADHD and sensory processing disorder,” added Laura.
“In his short life, he has experienced multiple cases of pneumonia, sepsis, cellulitis, meningitis, fluid in his lungs, severe loss of albumin and due to his bones not being fully formed, he’s had three femur breaks and needed his left knee and hip reconstructed.
“The most serious part of Kian’s condition is that it causes leaky blood vessels. These vessels have been found in his eye (causing left eye blindness, aged three) nose, gut, lymphatic system, bowel and liver.
“He has no immune system, loses his nutrients and proteins and bleeds easily. But the most serious of the bleeds are the ones that effect his brain. In 2017 when he was just seven, he had three strokes and his had quite a few mini strokes since.”
In 2017, doctors said Kian’s brain was dying and there was nothing more than could be done, said Laura, but he was eventually given stem cell treatment, only available in California, which has extended his life.
“Kian has had three doses so far and we have been blessed with another seven years with him,” said Laura. “This treatment isn’t a cure, but it does help prolong his life. This means we have to take him whenever he starts showing symptoms of a relapse. This is also looked at in his MRI scans.
“He is now starting to be due another treatment. We would all be so grateful of any donation that would help Kian no matter how small.”
Laura is trying to raise £10,000, just to cover the cost of the treatment in San Diego. Kelly (also known as Kellie) and Kian’s dad Ian also have to cover travel and insurance costs for the trip to California.
The fundraiser raised more than £10,300 in less than 48 hours. Laura, who posted the Gofundme on Travel Gossip’s Facebook group, said: “Wow. Thank you all so, so much for all your donations. We are completely blown away.”
This story was updated at 11am on 26 November, after the target was reached.
