A DEVOTED mum's labour of love to help her 13-year-old son is paying off.

Last September Evonne Aspinall, 33, of Maudsley Street, Accrington, wrote 5,000 letters to companies over a wide area.

Her son John has suffered from water on the brain and epilepsy since birth and has to travel to Philadelphia every six months for specialist treatment.

Evonne and her husband Paul have worked out that it will cost £50,000 over the next five years to continue with his treatment and Evonne asked the 5,000 companies to each donate £1.

She said: "So far we have raised just under £10,000 and we have opened a trust account for John at the Halifax Building Society.

"Several companies responded to our appeal and most donated more than £1.

"We will be taking John to the Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia in March. We have already taken him there for treatment five times in the last four years. Our appeal is ongoing as we need money to buy equipment and books for him. He is doing very well on the education side and loves using a computer."

John, who attends Blackamoor Special School, Blackburn, two days a week is making good progress but still has problems with mobility and is confined to a wheelchair. Evonne and Paul give John therapy treatment at home and Evonne works with him between eight and 10 hours a day.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to John, or help in some other way, should ring Evonne on Accrington 236283.

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