Celebrities back Sara’s fund

SIR Paul McCartney, David and Victoria Beckham and Sir Cliff Richard are just some of the superstars who have pledged their support to help save the life of young Sara Thackray.
Two-year-old Sara, from Dunfermline, suffers from a rare form of leukaemia and needs a pioneering stem cell transplant in America, costing &#163 450,000, to save her life. And thanks to the generosity of the public and the United Co-op Travel Group, a special fund has already raised more than &#163 311,000.
Sara&#039s mum Lynne is a travel homeworker for Future Travel, part of the United Co-op Travel Group. To support the family, United Co-op Travel set up "Sara&#039s Fund" to help raise money for the family.
When Scottish newspaper the Daily Record backed the appeal, donations began to flood in from the public, boosting the amounts already raised by United Co-op Travel staff and a substantial &#163 25,000 donation from the Co-operative Charitable Foundation.
Now celebrities such as the Beckhams, Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Paul McCartney are lending their weight to the appeal.
Sir Paul has personally donated &#163 5,000, with Sir Cliff pledging a donation from his own charitable fund. The Beckhams have sent three signed postcards to be auctioned by the Daily Record to raise more money.
Sara&#039s illness has been a double blow for the Thackray family ? just two years ago Lynne and Grant lost their 20-month-old baby Tia to croup ? a virus causing an inflammation of the upper airways. Caring for Sara ? just eight weeks old at the time of her sister&#039s death ? helped the couple through that difficult time but they never imagined that just five months later they would be fighting to save Sara&#039s life as well.
Sara was diagnosed with infant acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just six months old. Over the past year Sara has undergone treatment and chemotherapy at Edinburgh Sick Children&#039s Hospital.
Sara has just finished her last course of chemotherapy at the hospital. Her leukaemic white blood cell count must be below five per cent before she can have the transplant.
Last week, she had a test to see if her cancer was in remission. Sara will then have to fly to America for treatment as soon as possible.
Lynne added: "We&#039re so grateful for everything everyone is doing to help Sara."
Mike Greenacre, General Manager of the United Co-op Travel Group, said: "It&#039s just awful to think that anyone should have to go through this kind of heartbreak once, but twice.
"I can&#039t contemplate the nightmare Lynne and Grant must be suffering. We have over three thousand staff and they have been so supportive."
To donate to the fund telephone 08702301304, or send a cheque (payable to ?Sarah&#039s Fund&#039) to: Yvonne Leslie, General Manager, Future Travel Group, "Sara&#039s Fund", Seefels, Pier Road, Rhu, Helensburgh G8 8LH.