AN appeal to raise funds for a charity helping to care for terminally ill youngster Dylan Dunn has taken off at a sprint thanks to the generosity of West Somerset people. Last week the Free Press featured the plight of 21- month-old Dylan, whose grandparents Anne and Allan Dyer live in Williton and whose mother, Jane, is a former Danesfield Community Middle School and West Somerset Community College pupil. Dylan suffers from Sandhoff's Disease, a rare genetic condition which has left him almost totally paralysed and which could claim his life within months. With the South West's only hospice, Little Bridge House in Barnstaple, providing specialised care and a respite for his parents, Jane and Jon, family and friends have rallied round to provide the charity with much needed financial help by staging a sponsored run. Around £700 had already come in before the Free Press told Dylan's story but that figure has more than doubled in the last seven days alone. Allan said an estimated £1,600 had been donated so far - without even counting the runners' sponsorship. One of the first organisations to respond to the appeal was Washford Cross-based tourist attraction Tropiquaria. General manager Naomi Griffith, an old school friend of Jane's elder sister Helen, contacted the family to invite them to set up a stall at the animal and adventure park's free entry days last weekend. And generous visitors donated at least £370. "We have known the Dyers for a long time and when we saw the article in the Free Press we decided to invite them to collect money for their campaign over our free weekend," said Naomi. "Visitors were obviously feeling very generous and raised an amazing amount over the two days." The family has also received many individual donations from Free Press readers who responded generously after seeing last week's article, including one who lives in Bath and receives the paper on subscription. Quakers in Minehead have also pledged to raise money for the cause. "The response has been amazing and the whole family, including Jane and Jon, are so pleased," said Allan yesterday (Thursday). "We have set a target of £5,000 and we really hope we can achieve it. It certainly seems possible if this first week is anything to go by." Dylan's Run will take place on May 14 when Allan and 23 other runners will leave Minehead and tackle the 73-mile trek to Little Bridge House in sections. Collecting boxes, currently in local shops, will be out along the route. Allan, who made his first visit to Little Bridge House this week, said he had been hugely impressed with its facilities and the care given to children like Dylan. "It costs £3 million a year to run and it has to rely totally on donations and fundraising. "The money we are raising is so important and it is also such a positive thing for us, as a family, to do."
