A Newcastle family must raise 20,000 every six months to take their seriously ill son to Panama for lifesaving treatment.

Starved of oxygen at birth, Sean Gallagher has severe cerebral palsy and is not expected to survive long into his teens.

His parents Sonia and Sean, from Lemington, started hunting for treatment in a bid to give him the best possible quality of life in whatever time he has left.

Sean has severe difficulties, including seizures, scoliosis and being registered blind, partially deaf and unable to walk or talk.

Last year the 11-year-old started going to Panama for stem cell treatment - something which costs 20,000 each time they go.

The family flew out for the treatment in May last year and February this year, and have noticed a huge difference in Sean since then.

Sonia, 34, said: Since the start of treatment hes been sleeping all night, hes been more happy, hes been making little vocalisations and noises, communicating with us more.

Everyones seen a change, people who know us think hes more alert.

We even think he can see shadows now, which is new.

I know they seem like little changes but theyre massive changes to us.

Unfortunately the family will not be able to travel to Panama until next year due to the Covid-19 lockdown and travel restrictions.

But they are continuing to fundraise in the meantime to pay for Seans next round of treatment.

So far they had raised around 10,000 - half the money needed - through activities on their Facebook page for Sean and events run by friends.

But they were overjoyed this week when a kind stranger got in contact offering to help with their cause.

Sonia said: A few days ago we had a phone call out of the blue from a man named Michael Coates offering to do a charity event to help raise some of the 20,000 we need every six months to continue the treatment.

We were over the moon with this as with lockdown and isolating to protect Sean we have struggled with fundraising, which is a big setback.

Michael is from Westerhope and is currently in the Army. On August 5 he has set himself a challenge, along with a friend to run three miles every three hours for three days, so 24 miles in 24 hours totalling 72 mile in three days.

Sonia and partner Sean, who are also parents to Daniel, nine, and Kaitlyn, four, tied the knot in 2015 after winning the Chronicle's Dream Wedding competition, applying so they could get married as soon as possible and make sure their eldest son was part of the occasion.

Sonia was also determined to make sure her son Sean was the one who walked her down the aisle at Alnwick Castle.

You can donate to the appeal at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Michael-Coates8 and follow Sean's journey via the family's Facebook page.

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Lemington family need 20,000 every six months to take ill son to Panama for stem cell treatment - Chronicle Live