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Abstract

A mystery donor has stepped in to help pay for a severely disabled boy’s respiratory device after it was stolen last month.

As reported in the Tribune, widowed Sophie Perkins, 52, had mistaken- ly left her son Archie’s res- piratory device outside her home in Barnsbury after moving him inside from her car.

Archie, 13, relies on the Vest Airway Clearance System to breathe as it dis- lodges mucus from his lungs and prevents infec- tions.

He suffers from a severe form of bronchiectasis and mitochondrial disease which shortens life expectancy to early teens.

Archie still attends Richard Cloudesley Primary School in Whitecross Street, Finsbury, for up to four hours a day where he enjoys sensory classes.

Ms Perkins was left distraught when the vest wasn’t returned following our appeal and was worried about how to pay for a replacement.

The anonymous donor had initially offered to pay for the whole device worth just under £7,000 after reading about Archie in this newspaper, but Ms Perkins’ home insurance covered £4,000.

The donor then offered to pay the remaining amount, which Ms Perkins gratefully accepted.

She said: “I wouldn’t know how we would have managed without the donor, it’s been really fantastic.

“That’s very kind of someone to think of us; how lucky we are. Because of this I’ve felt more positive about this road and I think we’re more of a community than we realise.”

She said she was overwhelmed by the kindness she received following the article.

“People have been really nice. People who I don’t really know have said you’ve got a lot to do and they were discussing how to help me at their book group. I’ve been stunned by how nice people have been.”

Archie was loaned a vest by the device manufacturers until the end of July.

Of the new vest she said she was going to choose a pale blue colour to complement Archie’s blue
eyes and “make his eyes pop”.

She added: “His health is deteriorating and he is needing the machine more but we are very cheerful and trying to keep him well.”