Payback time for brave Daniel
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A MORAY family will say a big "thank you" to the individuals and charities who helped their son make an amazing recovery after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Daniel Strong (5) is continuing his remarkable progress after undergoing five major operations last year.
The Elgin youngster will be the VIP guest on Tuesday night as his dad Darren’s Buckie Thistle team play SPL opponents Caley Thistle in a special charity match at Victoria Park.
The family hope to generate a windfall for four key charities which treated Daniel and supported the family through some traumatic months.
Darren, a goalkeeper with the Highland League champions, said: "I know it is a cliché but every £1 makes a difference to these charities, so it is now our turn to give something back to them."
The four charities set to benefit from the evening are:
• CLIC Sargent, which provided the family with "home from home" accommodation close to the Edinburgh Royal Sick Kids Hospital where the youngster spent seven weeks.
• CCLASP, which stands for Children with Cancer and Leukaemia Advice and Support for Parents.
• ARCHIE Foundation, which is the official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and also provided the family with accommodation in Aberdeen.
• Edinburgh Royal Sick Kids Foundation, which supported the family as Daniel underwent a series of operations.
Daniel, a pupil at Greenwards Primary, lost the sight in one eye and suffered mobility problems following his illness. However, doctors are pleased with his progress and he is looking forward to starting P2 after the summer.
"We would just like to say thank you to everyone who has supported us up to now. We have been overwhelmed by the support," said Darren, an Elgin police officer.
A chance meeting with Caley boss Terry Butcher during a visit to Forres sowed the seeds for the charity game.
"I saw Terry when we were in Forres and ended up eating lunch at the same place. We discovered that he had done work for the founder of the CCLASP charity when she had another charity," he said.
Daniel will be mascot for the home side while Leah Geddes (5), younger sister of Buckie High pupil Zoe Geddes (13), who died earlier this year from leukaemia and a former Buckie Thistle Girls player, will lead out the Caley side.
The game starts at 7.30pm..
The family has set up a special charity account and donations can be made direct to it. The sort code is 80-06-66 and account number is 06019486. Cheques can be made payable to the ‘Daniel Strong Charity Account’.
Any businesses or individuals who would like to offer sponsorship or raffle prizes for the game can contact Darren Strong on 07921 236072.
