Parents rally round to help make Brian's dream come true

PARENTS at Meadow Bridge Primary School have launched a fundraising effort to raise money to send one of the young pupils on the holiday of a lifetime to Florida.

They want to allow eight-year-old Brian Kerr, who is the only person in Northern Ireland to suffer from the rare genetic blood disorder, Fanconi's Anaemia, to America to live out his dream.

But the cost will be much higher than normal because of the crippling insurance costs which will be at least 6,000 .

Brian, from Moira, was diagnosed with the condition - which can lead to bone marrow failure - as a baby. He has recently become transfusion dependent. As his bone marrow does not work properly making new blood he feels tired and can bleed heavily. The condition often leads to children suffering from birth defects and it can lead to serious health problems such as leukaemia.

Brian's twin sister Helen was diagnosed with another blood disorder HLH, and despite a bone marrow transplant at Bristols Children's Hospital from brother Adam - passed away on August 10, 2005 at the age of just three.

Brian's mother Gaye has been told that some children with the condition can lead a normal life with a bone marrow transplant. However it can only be successful if they there is a related donor and that is not the case with Brian.

Brian's dream has always been to go to America. He said: "I want to go to Florida and ride the big roller coasters but it is going to take a lot of money for me to get there.

"I would like to go to Florida while I can enjoy it and am not too tired and I can't go when my bloods go down in case I haemorrhage on the rides."

After hearing about Brian's wish, parents at the school are sending out letters to local businesses and running a number of fundraising events.

They said Gaye has been a tireless fundraiser for others, including helping to raise money for the Fletcher family whose son Joshua suffers from Diamond Blackfan Anaemia.

Janet McKendry, said: "Gaye has always been there and has done so much for everyone else and this is a way of paying her back for all the hard work that she is always doing for others."

Another parent, Leigh-Ann Dillan, said: "We know that 6,000 is needed just for the insurance costs and that was the quote given just before Brian was transfusion dependent so it may go up" she said.