Just five short months ago they set out to scale what must have seemed an impossibly large fund-raising mountain to reach a new point in the lives of their darling twin daughters.
Now the parents of Carnoustie three-year-olds Ayley and Chloe Hirsch have breezed past the massive target they set to fund a life-changing trip to the United States, and revealed the overwhelming emotion of learning that £106,000 has now poured in to finance vital surgery for the young cerebral palsy sufferers.
A £9000 boost from Radio Tay’s Cash For Kids appeal and the proceeds of a frenetic past couple of weeks of local fund-raising has lifted the Ayley and Chloe fund into six figures.
This means the family’s sights are firmly set on a trip to the St Louis Children’s Hospital early next year, where the girls will undergo the operation their loved ones hope will allow the pair to walk for the first time.
They require complex surgery known as selective dorsal rhizotomy, which is unavailable on the NHS.
Parents Averil Fleming and Frazer Hirsch were inspired by the turnaround in the life of Perthshire toddler Jack McNaughton after he took his first steps following the procedure.
Determined to bring the same joy to the girls, they mounted a major fund-raising campaign that Averil admits has surpassed their wildest expectations.
“We came down to Radio Tay today to receive this latest donation and, having totalled everything up, now realise we are sitting at £106,000,” she said. “I am trying my very best not to cry, but we are just so overwhelmed that we have reached this figure in only five months.
“Ourselves, my family and the community have worked really hard to get us up to the mark that we have hit and all we can do is say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped in so many different ways.
“The target was £80,000 and I think we probably reached that in the middle of last week, but we have just been so busy with other events that we didn’t have time to stop and count exactly where we were at so it is just brilliant that we have reached this total.
“Today is a very, very happy day for all the family. People are still putting cheques through the door and into the account online and we’re so grateful for the support everyone has given.”SurgeryIn mid-May, Averil and Frazer experienced another high point in the campaign when they received confirmation from the States that the girls had been accepted for surgery.
“We will be going in January and we are now waiting to find out exactly when, but the girls are top of the list for the operation at that time,” Averil added. “They know that they are going to America and they know that the doctor is going to help them out.
“Now that they know they are definitely going they are very excited, and all we can do is say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible.”
She added, “This huge sum will also mean that we will be able to fund the aftercare that they require. We will be in America for one month, and the aftercare starts immediately.”
The fund captured the heart of the Tayside community and beyond. The cash total rocketed with support from celebrity backers, including rockers The View and both Dundee’s senior football clubs, as well as a website and Facebook page set up to highlight the campaign.
This week Brian Pithie walked for seven hours through the night in driving rain from his home in Montrose to his workplace in Dundee to raise cash.
The Tesco Metro employee, who is actually on holiday, said it was all worth it when he arrived at the end of the walk and found the twins with their mum Averil, a former colleague at the store.
“They are such cute kids,” said Brian. “It was worth doing the walk in the rain. I have no idea how much money I have raised and am just waiting for the staff to start collecting it all in.”