Burnley FC offer their support to brave Joshua

Joshua, who is approaching his first birthday, suffers from Ohtahara Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy.

The condition means Joshua suffers from excessive seizures, initially 200+ per day, now with the correct medication is reduced to 10 to 20, he has to receive food and oxygen via a tube and in view of the progressive incurable nature of this condition is not expected to reach his second birthday.

Dad Anthony held a fund-raising day at work at Skipton-based finance company HML, raffling Burnley FC signed shirts and other generously donated items, and his aunt Gail Hill is running the London Marathon in April to raise funds for the charity Epilepsy Action.

Anthony and three-year-old daughter Amelia were guests of the Clarets at their Gawthorpe training ground last week, but with Joshua not well enough to visit Eddie, Chris and Charlie happily volunteered to pop round to their home in nearby Padiham Road in Burnley to see Joshua and mum Carrie.

“It’s so important for us to do things like this,” said Eddie.

“It makes the players realise how fortunate they are but more importantly it hopefully gives the family a little lift and gives their fund-raising efforts a bit of help.

“Joshua is obviously a brave little boy and offering a little bit of support to him and his family is the least we can do.”

Clarets’ fan Anthony, who also received a couple of match tickets from Eddie for Burnley’s upcoming home game against Crystal Palace, staged his fund-raising day on behalf of the Derian House Hospice in Chorley, whose staff provide invaluable specialist nursing and respite care.

And Gail’s efforts in the London Marathon will be to help Epilepsy Action. Anyone who would like to sponsor her can donate at www.justgiving.com/Gail-Hill-LondonMarathon2012.