Imagine…
Towards the end of 2022 the McCarthy-Stone family were facing the huge challenge of caring for their 10-year son, Jaqub, who was fighting Leukaemia and undergoing an aggressive chemotherapy treatment plan. As if this were not enough to endure, their boiler started to leak!
Following unsuccessful and costly attempts to repair their 6-year-old boiler they were greeted with a most unwelcome New Year’s Eve message – ‘you need a new boiler!’
At the time of approaching the RGF, the McCarthy-Stone family had been without heat and hot water for over a week, and they had little funding in place to purchase a new boiler. Frequent and costly trips from Peterborough to Addenbrookes, catering for in-patient stays, the impact of time off from work, plus the cost of living crisis, had had a catastrophic impact on their savings, not to mention the intolerable emotional strain on the whole family.
Jaqub was confined to one room with makeshift heating, and they had to use the local swimming pool facilities to shower. They were at their financial ‘wits end’ and reached out to the RGF for financial support.
Jaqub’s Dad, Martin said: “I do not even know how to put into words how to say thank you to the RGF. It is truly wonderful that there are people out there that are thinking of Jaqub, and all he has to endure. As I write Jaqub’s been through another one of those standard Chemo days. Again, we cannot express our thanks enough.”
RGF trustee, David Cant, said: “Every aim 1 grant application is exceptional, but every once in a while, exceptional takes on a different level and with the McCarthy-Stone family’s application the trustees were, without hesitation, unanimous that we should break with our normal grant threshold to enable them to purchase and install a new boiler. The photos of Jaqub and his sister say it all.”