A Lancashire family’s desperate appeal to raise money to airlift their stroke-victim great-grandmother home from the Algarve is going full steam ahead, with over a third of the money already raised.
Response has been wonderful, enthused family member Sharon Borrowdale, with inventive fundraising events including “sponsored head shaves, nose and body waxing, hand massages, cut-throat shaves and children’s face painting”.
The Resident featured the plight of Albufeira resident Doreen Blackburn in last week’s edition. Doreen, 78, is about to be discharged from a rehabilitation centre in Tavira, but she will not be in any condition to fly on a scheduled flight, and as she and her husband Maurice were about to return to the UK when the former nurse suffered two massive strokes in November, she has no home here to return to.
The only way to get Doreen back to her concerned family is by hiring an air ambulance, complete with medical staff. The price tag though, of £12,000, is more than the Blackburns can afford. Thus their local paper has stepped in to publicise the appeal.
“We cannot quite believe how wonderful and generous people are being and would like to give our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated,” Sharon Borrowdale told the paper last weekend.
“So far we have been pledged £2,613 on the JustGiving website and have also received cheques for Capital Air Ambulance to the value of £1,150.”
Anyone who would like to learn more, or who would like to pledge some help, however small, can access https://www.justgiving.com/yimby/bringbackdoreen, or telephone Doreen Blackburn’s daughter-in-law Pamela in the UK on 01282 861503 or 01282 866748.
