Mum overjoyed after anonymous donation to help autistic son

Mrs Parsons, of Luckett Way, had been attempting to reach the £400 goal herself by revamping old goods and selling them on but after she contacted the Gazette & Herald a woman, who wished to remain anonymous, donated £140 towards her fundraiser.

She can now purchase the calming light sensory pack for her eight-year-old son, Theo Parsons, who suffers from multiple disorders, including autism, epilepsy and grey matter heretopia, a neurological disorder, which can affect the brain's ability to function.

The 38-year-old said: “I am ecstatic about raising the money. I did not think that it was going to happen. It was amazing and could not believe it when it happened and I will not be able to repay them.

"Theo’s condition makes him very sensitive to his environment and he can easily become agitated.

“A sensory pack would be fantastic and would have a huge impact on Theo. He has tried one before and he adored playing with the bubble tube, the LED lights and the fibre optics.

“The dark den also allowed him to escape to an enclosed space where he could relax. He immediately became less anxious around the pack which was fantastic to see.”

Theo has in all five different disorders; autism, grey matter heretopia, variable scoliosis, an irregular curvature of the spine, epilepsy and hypermobility, causing his joints to easily move beyond their expected range.

The equipment would usually cost £2,000 but Mrs Parsons contacted charity Caudwell Children, who were willing to stump up 80% of the funding.

She added: “We were struggling to help Theo and that is when I contacted Caudwell Children.

“They provide practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families and they recommended the sensory pack.

“Unfortunately, it costs £2,000 which was way beyond our budget. However, Caudwell Children has very kindly generated 80% of the funding leaving us to find 20%, still not an inconsiderable amount."