A WIDOW dedicated to raising funds for motor neurone disease research since the death of her husband said she was overwhelmed by the support of a five-year-old boy she didn’t even know.
Sheila Phillips was left devastated by her husband John’s sudden deterioration and death last year just two months after he was diagnosed with the degenerative disease, and less than a year after the first signs anything was wrong.
Determined to bring some good out of her loss, she has organised charity events including a race night, supermarket bag pack, and a sponsored walk.
Ten people took part in the walk earlier this month and she said she was incredibly touched that five-year-old Layton Phillips wanted to get involved - they have the same surname but they are not related and didn’t even know each other.
“He’s my niece's neighbour,” said Sheila, 70, of Ryecroft, Smithies. “There were ten people who did the walk, all mainly friends and family.
“This little lad decided he wanted to do it too, and he raised £175 all by himself. I just can’t believe what he’s done for me, and for John.
“He walked all the way from Asda in Barnsley to the golf club at Staincross. It’s three miles and he managed it all himself.”
Layton’s mum Elizabeth Phillips said: “My older son Reece was going to do it, he’s 13. But he’s in the Army Cadets on Wakefield Road, and he ended up having to pull out because he was on a camp.
“My youngest decided he wanted to do it instead, he likes walking and he likes to help people. Obviously it meant I had to do it too.
“I don’t think anyone expected he’d raise so much money, but he’s really pleased to help.”
Layton and Sheila were reunited this week for Sheila to say thank you.
Sheila’s husband John died in October aged 69. A retired postman, he had been fit and healthy until just a few months earlier.
“It was Boxing Day, ten months before he died in the October, when we’d been in the club and he asked me to grab these glasses because he felt like he was dropping them. We thought he’d had a stroke at first.
“He got his diagnosis in August, and he died in October. It’s such an awful disease, and there’s no cure.
“I remember saying to the doctors that Stephen Hawking had been a young man when he got it, and lived for years and years, but it was a different strain, very aggressive.
“It came as such a shock and so traumatic. I want to raise some money to go on research, because they need to find a cure.”
Sheila has raised about £1,000 in sponsorship and pledges so far through the walk, a bag pack at Quality Save last week, and has organised a race night at New Road Club, Staincross, on Friday April 20, 7pm.
Clich here to find the fund-raising campaign page.
