A six-year-old boy from Melksham has decided to walk 10km to raise money for a charity that gifted him a cuddly stoma-bag wearing toy bear. Riley underwent surgery after experiencing complications following his birth, requiring a stoma-bag to dispose of waste from his body. After struggling with the difficulties of being different from other children, his parents gifted him the toy bear from charity A Bear Named Buttony, which has also got a stoma-bag fitted to it. “He’s been asking a lot of questions – why he’s got a stoma and he’s been saying ‘it’s not fair’ but having the bear has really helped him,” said Riley’s mother, Beth.
Although Riley initially aimed to raise enough money to pay for five bears, his fundraising has exceeded his target, with over £1,600 raised, equivalent to over 50 bears. Riley is now more determined to raise more money, to help children like him who have struggled to come to terms with the changes their stoma has brought about. The Buttony Bear charity, set up in 2015 by the mother of a girl called Eilidh who needed a permanent ileostomy, is named after Eilidh’s bear.
Beth said the surgery that fitted Riley’s stoma-bag was “life-changing” for him. The struggles and complications he faced from birth were treated in Bristol Children’s Hospital, diagnosed with Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV), a male-only condition affecting the urethra. Riley has undergone 11 surgeries in his life and even experienced sepsis, but his family hope his positive attitude towards life will inspire and help others seeking to come to terms with unique circumstances.
Riley’s walk is planned for Monday and has gained support with the kindness of the donors contributing to the Buttony Bear charity, who have already given away over 6,600 bears to paediatric centres across the UK. “The bear makes opening conversations about stomas a lot easier because the child can explain what’s happened to them using their bear,” said charity founder Jenny Gow MBE. The Bear Named Buttony charity will benefit from Riley’s walk and donations from supporters, which have allowed the charity to achieve its goal of comforting children enduring similar experiences
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
