12:57pm Wednesday 16th October 2002
By Joseph O Shea
Kind-hearted firemen brought fund-raising efforts for the James Haddad Appeal to a temporary close last week by rowing for nine hours to raise £1,037 in the Whitgift Centre.
Twenty firemen from Croydon and Bromley rowed the equivalent of over 211 miles in nine hours on Thursday, October 10 to raise money for the West Croydon nine-year-old who has a rare and inoperable brain condition.
They covered the equivalent of rowing from London to Paris and received a generous response from passers by, who shouted their support and made donations.
Firefighter Sam Redfearn of Croydon's White Watch told the Croydon Guardian: "It was a great day and we had a really good response from the people of Croydon. When James came down it was a real boost for us. It encouraged the public and us rowers to make that little bit of extra effort."
Robert and Sue Haddad brought James in his wheelchair to show their support and thanks for the firemen's tremendous effort. Sue said: "Even though James was barely up to it, we made sure we all went up there to say thank you, because they worked so hard."
With the appeal total now standing at almost £40,000, the Haddad family has requested that fund-raisers take a break while they await the results of a new drug combination James has been prescribed.
The four-drug combination was previously only available in Boston, USA and was one of the treatments they were considering taking James abroad to receive.
Now that the new treatment is underway and the immediate need to go abroad is less urgent, the break in fund-raising will allow the Haddads to dedicate their time exclusively to their son. Robert said: "Words alone cannot express our thanks to everyone who has given their time and money so generously to help James. We have been deeply touched."
The Guardian will continue to bring readers updates on James' condition. Sue added: "We haven't given up hoping and we will keep fighting for James."
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