A YOUNG lad from Alcester who tragically lost his best friend earlier this year is raising money for the hospital which cared for him and his family.
In August this year, 11-year-old Matthew Hayward was tragically killed while out on his bike.
The youngster was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) where he sadly died four days later.
As a way of thanking the hospital for the care they provided, and to mark the memory of the much-loved schoolboy, his friends Daniel and Samuel have decided to try and raise some money for the hospital.
Eleven-year-old Daniel said: “Matthew was my best friend. He was funny and really kind to me, so we wanted to do something in his memory.
“We want to raise the money for the hospital that looked after him.”
Matthew’s family arranged for all the donations from his funeral to be made to Birmingham Children’s Hospital PICU as they felt the care Matthew received was outstanding.
Daniel and Samuel are supporting the same cause with their own fund raising mission, starting with a 1k fun run, on October 8, and the pair hope their friends and family will be there to cheer them on.
Daniel added: “We’ve been doing some training and some one mile runs – and even though I’ve been getting stitch quite a lot, I’m getting better at it.
“I think when the big run arrives, I’ll be ready.”
Daniel’s mum Lorraine added: “It’s been a really tough time for everyone, but we’re really proud of the boys. They’re working really hard to do this for Matthew and his family.”
The pair are hoping to raise £3,000 In memory of Matthew and plan to follow their run with more charity fund raising in the near future.
Donations can be made online at http://bit.ly/2xmLquv or at Hemming & Peace funeral services in Alcester.
