Help for Zac to get treatment
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and a number of town businesses are providing items to be sold off at a secret auction to raise cash for a potentially life-saving operation for a boy.
Zac Knighton-Smith has been told by doctors that he needs a £30,000 treatment at a specialist cancer clinic in Germany to treat a condition called acute neuroblastoma.
The seven-year-old has already undergone several sets of surgery, but the NHS will not pay for the required follow-up treatment.
In response, business leaders in Kettering have got together to put up more than £500 worth of vouchers for a secret auction to help raise the cash for Zac, who lives in Rushden.
Gordon Ramsay has even got on board to offer a meal for two at his restaurant at Claridge’s in London as well as a hot air balloon flight for two with Virgin.
Other vouchers include £50 off Pizza Hut, Boutique 66 and The Raj in Kettering, and a free MOT and service at Headlands Garage.
A £100 voucher for any store in the Newlands Shopping Centre has also been thrown in.
The secret auction has been organised by Stuart Hopkins, who is the man behind the successful loyalty card scheme in the town.
He said: “After reading about Zac I thought maybe there is something businesses in Kettering can do to help.
“Despite the hard times many businesses are going through I found there to be fantastic support and we’ve come up with a brilliant item for the auction.
“If we can raise more than £1,000 to help Zac get the treatment needed that would be great.”
Zac’s grandmother June Knighton said: “It’s great to find out businesses are offering their support – the family really appreciate it.”
The youngster was first diagnosed with the condition three years ago and has since undergone many courses of chemotherapy.
The deadline for putting in a bid is February 13.
