A TEAM of bus drivers will be spreading festive cheer to help a Gainford family find a cure for their son who was diagnosed with a rare and fatal muscle-wasting disease.
Drivers from Arriva North East’s Darlington depot have chosen to wear their Christmas jumpers for the whole month, each donating £5 from their December wages to Our Fight for Ryan.
Six-year-old Ryan Chidzey was just three when his parents, Claire and Cieran, were told he had Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Determined to find a cure in Ryan’s lifetime, the family have almost reached their £50,000 target for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
While the generosity of the Arriva team in Darlington can help the family towards their goal, they are encouraging passengers to get involved by making a donation on board selected Arriva buses driven by Santa and his elves this festive period.
Ryan’s mum, Claire Chidzey, said: “When Ryan received his diagnosis we were told that he would be in a wheelchair by age 12 and wouldn’t make it to his twenties. We set up Our Fight For Ryan two years ago to help find a cure and improve the quality of life for every child living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The support that we have received has been amazing.
“We’ve managed to raise £45,500 and hopefully this donation from Arriva North East will help to reach our goal so that we can focus on spending time with Ryan and making memories.” The team at Arriva Darlington made the decision to get involved when Ryan’s uncle, who works for Arriva, approached his work colleagues with the idea.
The general manager of Arriva’s Darlington depot, Nathan Stanislawski, said: “When we were asked whether we would want to take part in some fundraising for Ryan our immediate answer was ‘yes.’ Working in the local community, we were already aware of Our Fight For Ryan and the amazing work of the Chidzey family. We’re hopeful that our customers will join us to help raise these vital funds.”
Visit: https://www.justgiv ing.com/campaigns/char ity/muscular-dystrophy/our fightforryan.
