Mint Barbers of Westbourne hosted ‘Trims4Chester’ on Sunday 20th December. This was a Covid secure fundraising event where Mints’ award winning team of Barbers came in on their day off, opened their doors to clients and, despite all of the lost earnings this year due to lockdowns, donated all of the days takings to local cause, Cheers4Chester.
In addition to the haircuts, Mint also hosted a Virtual Christmas Raffle on the day with prizes ranging from signed sports memorabilia to luxury nights away. In total, the day raised a whopping £3,105.
Cheers4Chester was set up in 2019 by husband and wife duo Ben Walton and Sam Walton to raise money for their son Chester (aged 4) to have life changing surgery in the US. Chester has Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy (a developmental disorder which, caused by damage to the white matter of the brain, means that Chester’s gross motor functions are severely impaired). As a result, he has spasticity - or extreme tightness of the muscles - which causes unusual movement patterns and prevents him from being able to stand or walk unaided. A full-time wheelchair user, Chester requires round-the-clock care and assistance.
With a surgical procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) Chester could learn new, pain-free ways to sit, stand and - even one day - walk. The procedure, which works by permanently removing the spasticity in the patient’s muscles, has already changed the lives of many children who, like Chester, suffer with the debilitating disorder.
Chester was turned down for the operation in the UK due to NHS funding criteria but has been accepted by St Louis Children’s hospital by the world’s foremost surgeon in the field. Chester is scheduled to have this in March 2021 and the family have been fundraising to pay for not only the operation itself but also intensive rehabilitation back in the UK through private physiotherapy as well as specialist strength and conditioning experts over the next 2-3 years and beyond.
Estimates for the fundraising required come in at an eye watering £100k - £120k over the next 2 year period but thanks to the incredible generosity of many friends, family as well as fundraising events such as Trims4Chester itself, Cheers4Chester has raised £90,000 so far so is well on track.
Chester’s dad Ben said “We really can’t thank CJ and the team at MINT Barbers enough for hosting Trims4Chester to help us on our fundraising journey - especially given the tough year they have had themselves. It is so incredibly selfless of them and really does go to show just how amazing some people are and puts faith back in the human race! This is going to make a profound impact on Chesters’ life”
To donate to Cheers4Chester, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/just4children/cheers4chester
To find out more about Cheers4Chester: https://www.cheers4chester.co.uk
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