Band joins fight for little James (From Croydon Guardian)

Band joins fight for little James

1:10pm Wednesday 31st July 2002 in News By Patrick Bruce

The plight of young James Haddad as reported in the Guardian has prompted many groups and organisations to raise funds to help support his family and pay for treatment that may take him to the United States.

With over £17,000 raised since March, the latest group to join the quest for a cure for James's rare brain disorder is the Silver Echo Steel Band, who performed for shoppers outside Tesco in Purley on Saturday afternoon. James joined the musicians, who gave him some tips on how to play and allowed him to jam along.

The Haddads, from West Croydon, have gone to great lengths to track down the elusive cure. They made the brave decision to put James on a new but unproven treatment and may have to travel to America to ensure he has the chance of receiving the best medication.

Others who have walked similar paths have stressed the importance of proactive fund raising.

James has a very attentive family who have sacrificed much of what other families take for granted in order to make life more bearable for James.

With family friends having set up an appeal fund through NatWest Bank, father Robert said: "God has given us the strength and clarity of thought to fight back, we simply cannot give up on account of money alone."

He said James, like all children, should be enjoying the "spring of his youth" and not facing the "darkness of winter".

To have any chance of continuing his childhood, his family are calling for the continued support of their community in order to provide medical care that is not prohibited by cost. They hope Guardian readers continue to support the James Haddad Appeal by giving generously, helping with fund-raising events, telling family, friends and colleagues about it and by keeping up to date with James's progress by reading about him in the Guardian.