Festive joy for lovable Lucas who is one-in-a-million

Jenna Stanworth, whose son Lucas was born with Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood, thanked customers and staff at the Coal Clough pub in Burnley, who rallied round to raise the magnificent sum for him.

She said: "The people of Burnley always come through when it matters, they pull together and help people when they need it the most.

"I have seen that first-hand and I want to thank them for everything they have done for me and my family."

Staff and customers at the Coal Clough pub rose to the challenge when landlord, Adi Moore, asked them to nominate a worthy cause or family he wanted to help.

The post on social media was flooded with suggestions but top of the list, with dozens of nominations, was six-year-old Lucas who suffers from a condition so rare is is believed to affect only one in a million children.

The rare brain disorder causes Lucas to have sudden seizures that can leave him paralysed for several days.

After hearing that Jenna was trying to raise £5,000 for a special car seat for her son, Adi decided to help them.

With the help of his partner, Leanne Lambshead and barmaid Penny McVay, the trio organised a series of fundraising events at the pub including quiz nights, a raffle, and a music night when staff and the artiste, Dermot Dylan, all donated their wages into the fund for Lucas.

Grateful Jenna said: "I can't thank Adi and Leanne and everyone who has helped us enough for what they have done, it means so much to us to know that people care and they want to help Lucas."

After Jenna was given a grant to buy the car seat, the money raised from the Coal Clough pub will go towards creating a sensory room for Lucas at the family's home in the Burnley General Hospital area.

Jenna, a single parent who was forced to give up her job as as an optical dispenser to care for her son full-time, has already raised £1,000 herself through a justgiving page and various fundraising events.

Plans are now in place for the room that will help Lucas, who has to spend 80% of his life in a wheelchair, to calm down and relax after he has suffered a seizure which can often leave him with no feeling on one side of his body.

The room will have special wallpaper, lights and flooring and Jenna hopes work can start on it after Christmas.

Adi said: "Everyone has really got behind the fundraising for Lucas.

"This is only a small pub but all our customers have helped, we even have one who comes in who suffers from epilepsy himself and he puts £20 in the collection box every week.

"After the sensory room is paid for any money left can go towards presents for Lucas to make it a really great Christmas for him."

A pupil at St John's RC Primary School in Burnley Lucas is now under the care of specialists at Great Ormonde Street Children's Hospital in London.

Although there is no cure for the condition, research is being carried out all the time.

Jenna, who looks after Lucas with help from her parents, Ian and Celia Stanworth, said: "Lucas is so lovable and lively but he does have an attitude too and he knows his own mind so he can be stubborn."

Doctors only diagnosed Lucas with the condition when he was three after he suffered a seizure that lasted for several hours.