By Mario Xuereb
A LOCAL fundraising campaign to help ease the pain of a dying baby and his family is gathering pace.
Darcy Field, just 30 weeks old, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy – a disease that wastes nerves and muscles along the spine.
Specialists have given Darcy just months to live.
Sarah Jepson, a close relative of Darcy, wants to make those final days as comfortable as possible.
Ms Jepson has started a campaign to raise money for Darcy’s family – dad Adrian, mum Fiona and two-year-old brother Patrick.
Businesses, sporting clubs, schools and childcare centres across the West and Melbourne have offered to help raise money for the family.
Ms Jepson said the fundraising effort for Darcy would culminate in a family carnival slated for Caroline Springs on 22 October.
“At first we were just keeping it in the family but I was just so passionate about helping out,” Ms Jepson told Star. “Instead of just putting my $100 in I’d rather put my money into raising a $1000.
“My heart just went out to the family, and I knew I had the drive to run with it.”
Ms Jepson has spent the past few weeks glued to her mobile phone, calling any business that can support the family carnival.
“It started off little – approaching schools in the area to see if they would get involved,” she said.
“But now it has snowballed into this family fun day and a lot of people are getting involved.
“I’m overwhelmed with the re-sponse so far. I’ve had probably 150 telephone calls over the past two days and nearly all have said they can help us out in some way.”
Ms Jepson said she was now looking for volunteers to help out at the family carnival.
“Getting enough manpower is the big hurdle now,” she said.
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“Hopefully the money we raise will help out the family. They moved into the great Australian dream and now it’s just turned into a diaster.
“The more money we can raise for them and to research the disease the better – though it won’t help Darcy,” Ms Jepson said.
Among the local businesses lending a hand is Burnside childcare centre World For Kids.
Centre manager Melinda Harvey said she was saddened by Darcy’s tragic story and immediately offered to help raise money.
“There’s a lot of sadness in the world, some of it is as a distance and sometimes it touches you,” she said. “When it does touch you and you can do something – you help.
“I think what people really find tragic about Darcy’s story is that there will be no happy ending – there isn’t a cure.
“But any chance to help his family is something we must do.”
To help support fundraising efforts for Darcy Field contact Star on 9933 4800.
To support World for Kids’ donut drive contact 8361 7767.
