School friends raise £740 in memory of Michael

1:17pm Monday 12th May 2008

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KIND hearted students at Bridgewater High School have dug deep into their pockets to help sick teenagers at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool.

More than £700 was raised from a raffle that took place at the school's performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Feburary.

The pupils were inspired to raise the money after Michael Mason, who was a popular pupil at the Broomfields Road school, died last year aged 17 of a rare form of leukaemia.

Michael's mum, Susan Mason, appealed after her son's death for his school friends to raise awareness of the need for teenagers in the hospital to stay in touch with the world while passing the long hours of treatment.

During her son's illness, Mrs Mason found there was not much for the youngsters to do while they were in hospital.

The school's student council presented a cheque for the money to Mrs Mason on May 8. Russell Keenan, a consultant haematologist from the Liverpool hospital, was unable to attend the meeting due to a medical emergency that morning. But Mrs Mason acceppted the £740 cheque and spoke of the importance of donating blood and signing up to the bone-marrow register to save lives.

Since the launch of the Michael Mason Appeal, portable beds for parents have been provided - something that was previously only available to younger children.

Computer accessories and games are now also available.