Good News!

Andrew in the hospital (Mum in the background!)

Sorry about the tardiness of this post. But I'm very happy to report that Andrew is now resting at home with his feet up, after being in hospital for an operation to straighten his legs. He came through it with practically no complications (just swollen toes meaning his casts had to be cut open), and we're hoping this will have a massively positive impact on his posture when he sits. I'll keep you updated as to when he's back up and about!

As usual with the campaign, there's a lot going on. We're holding a Race Night and Disco at a local club on Friday, December 7th. You can be involved in this exciting night wherever you are! There will be eight races, and each will have eight horses, eight jockeys and eight trainers.

1. Buy a horse and you become the owner - £3 each, and if the horse wins - YOU WIN THE SPONSOR'S PRIZE!
2. Buy a jockey - £1 each, and if the jockey wins - YOU WIN £5!
3. Buy a trainer - £1 each, and if the trainer wins - YOU WIN £5!

Sounds good, eh? You can comment below to enter. Don't be shy!

And we also have three fantastic raffles running at the moment:

* Delicious and indulgent afternoon tea at Mamasan, Glasgow

* Devilishly good Boudoir Experience at Choccywoccydoodah, Brighton

* Dazzling 28" football flatscreen TV (draw on 15th December!)

Tickets only £1 each... you know you want to!! Comment below to enter.

We are also still gathering items for our second online auction, to be held in December. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for sneak peeks. As before, let me know if there's anything you'd be able to donate. Thanks for all the wonderful support so far!

Family Fun Day and Fayre and College Assessment

Andrew with two of our awesome helpers,
Lucy and Jo at the Fun Day

What a fantastic week for the campaign! Our very first Family Fun Day and Fayre took place on Saturday at Ravenstruther Hall, Lanark and was a great success, raising nearly £400. A massive thanks to everyone who came along either to run a stall or to browse and support. We were very pleased with the turnout and are already planning the next one in the Spring.

On Thursday and Friday, Andrew went down for his assessment and overnight stay at Beaumont College. This visit was all about planning what Andrew wants to achieve at college, choosing courses, and seeing what support he will need. Needless to say, everyone took a shine to Andrew with his beaming smile and enthusiastic attitude and it is gratifying to see that Andrew's potential has been recognised. We are all really excited about what the future will hold!

Andrew has also been expressing his artistic side with his new Eye Gaze technology, using his eyes to select colours and make brush strokes. Here is one of the pieces he has created.

Some of Andrew's excellent artwork

And finally, Andrew is going into hospital tomorrow to prepare for the operation on his legs on Wednesday. This operation is all about enabling Andrew to sit better in his chair and improving his posture. With luck, everything will go smoothly and he'll be up and about in no time!

Newspaper Coverage and Eye Gaze

Another excellent week for Andrew's campaign. His story was featured in the Scottish Sunday Express - please go and check it out and add a comment as this will increase the story's visibility. Next stop will be TV coverage!

Andrew ready to scare as a Psychotic Surgeon on Halloween

Andrew has recently started using an eye gaze communication aid where he uses his eyes a bit like a mouse. He looks at the screen, then selects by holding his gaze for a fixed period of time (instead of clicking the mouse, he holds his gaze). We've just been told by Andrew's speech and language therapist that there is huge potential here for Andrew to use this system to "talk". He has very quickly 

understood how it works, and has been using his eyes to paint pictures. He's going to sell some of these paintings at our Family Fun Day and Fayre! 

THIS is why Andrew deserves to go to college; without college he will not have the opportunity to continue to develop his skills.

Thanks for all your support so far. I'm planning a bloghop in January that should result in something very special to raise funds for the campaign: watch this space!