A SEVEN-year-old girl’s plea for donations to secure a life-changing operation has raised more than two-thirds of her total – with a little help from the Cardiffian.
Little LibertyMay Cooper, known to her family as “Mook”, has vesicoureteral reflux – a condition which causes unfiltered urine to return to the kidneys, leading to kidney damage and scarring. Despite suffering countless infections and near-constant pain, the NHS can only offer Mook an operation in August.
Concerned mum Christine Cooper, of Machen Close, St Mellons, was so worried about her two-stone daughter she started a campaign to raise the £3,000 needed for private surgery to fix the condition.
Since the Cardiffian broke the little girl’s story earlier this week, the campaign has made £605 in contributions. The current amount stands at £2,105, less than £1,000 away from £3,000 total.
Mook’s mum, 38, said: “What can I say? It’s just mad! The amount of support out there is wonderful.
“Mook doesn’t really understand what’s going on, but she knows she’s going to get better faster.
“The day the Cardiffian story came out there were lots of donations,” she said. “We’ve had so much support from complete strangers since then!”
The campaign has received support from home and abroad – with ex-Cardiff City footballer Michael Chopra tweeting his support from India. The striker, now playing for Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League tweeted: “It’s for a good cause so it was my pleasure!”
Some people were inspired to do more than donate – Gemma Hancock, one half of Hancock’s Mascots, an entertainment company from Ely in Cardiff, got in touch to offer a visit from a Disney princess when Mook has her surgery.
Ms Hancock, 27, said: “I heard about it through the Cardiffian and it just touched my heart. I have a little girl and I can’t imagine going through that. I was sharing it straight away, then called her mum to offer to visit her in hospital whenever she has the operation.”
Mook’s mum has said they’re thrilled to be approaching their goal, and pleased she might be able to treat the seven-year-old when her ordeal is over. She said: “If there is any money left over when she’s better, we’re going to go to Cadbury World.
“Mook is thankful for everyone’s support, just like her mother,” she said.
Donations can be made through the gofundme page.
