Stanley's big thanks for grotto cash splash

Cheque presentation to Pulmonary Hypertension sufferer Stanley Smith from Friars Square Shopping Centre - pictured is Stanley Smith

Stanley suffers from pulmonary hypertension, a condition which cause the arteries that carry the blood from the geart to become narrowed, causing harmful pressure to build up.

Stanley takes ‘life sustaining’ drugs every day and is one of only 100 children in the country to have been fitted with a Hickman line.

The grotto ticket sales raised a whopping £6,292 which will be dontaed to the Pulmonary Hypertension  Association, in a bid to find a cure for the condition and to help thousands of other children like Stanley around the United Kingdom.

And as well as that, the mall’s maintenance and centre management teams raised £1, 400 will with go to provided specialist equipment directly for Stanley.

The final total beat last year’s £6,000 which was raised for the Scannappeal charity.

Speaking about the fundraising his father Paul said: “As a family we have never been in a situation like this before and we are really touched.

“We hope that this publicity will also go a little way to telling people a bit more about pulmonary hypertension, and what to look out for.”

Andy Margieson, centre manager at Friars Square, said: “It is a testament to the generosity of our shoppers and the team at Friars Square that more than £7,000 has been raised to help those with pulmonary hypertension.

“The energy and enthusiasm of young Stanley and his parents has been an inspiration to us all over the last twelve months.”

Stanley’s mum Karen said: “We would like to say thank you to everyone at Friars Square for helping to raise the money for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK.

“We’re also really touched by the fact that the team raised money especially for Stanley. It will go towards some of the specialist equipment he needs, like a dry suit for swimming which has to be made to measure to cover Stanley’s Hickman line. Stanley loves splashing about in the water so he will be able to start swimming lessons soon. He also needs a bigger buggy as he gets worn out quickly.

To learn about how you can help you can visit www.phassociation.uk.com