A GROUP of Ribble Valley pupils have raised £5,000 to fund a life-saving operation for a Zimbabwean boy.

The future was looking bleak for Kundai Mangoma, 14, who suffers from a rare disease Giant Neurofibromatosis.

It has caused a huge tumour on the right hand side of his face, leaving him with breathing difficulties and blindness in one eye and disfigured facial bones.

His parents were unable to pay the medical bills after they lost all their life savings in Zimbabwe’s economic crisis.

But his plight came to the attention of staff and pupils at Stonyhurst College, Hurst Green, after they visited his school, St Peter’s Jesuit School, in Kubatana.

Staff and sixth-form pupils at the Lancashire school have a long-standing partnership with Kundai’s school, visiting once a year providing books, computers and first-aid equipment.

Sixth formers Sophie Le Breton and Natalie Crouch, both from Hurst Green, were so moved by Kundai’s bravery that they were determined to raise £5,000 for the surgery to transform his life.

Sophie said: “Kundai was lovely, very shy and uncomplaining.

“We were really moved to hear that his sister who suffered from the same condition had died quite recently and realised that many of the things we take for granted here, like antibiotics, just aren’t available to Zimbabweans.

“We were determined to help and as soon as we got back to school, started a campaign to raise the money.”

Earlier this year they met a surgeon in the African country who told them about an operation which could fully restore Kundai’s sight, ease his breathing and significantly change his appearance.

On their return they wasted no time in setting up the ‘Kundai Committee’, with representatives from all year groups putting up posters throughout the school and organising fundraising activities.

And since February, Kundai T-shirts, a ‘Home Clothes Day’, weekly cake stalls, an art competition, fun run and charity dinners have raised the cash needed for the operation which is scheduled to take place in Harare in late August.

Kundai’s mother Vimbai, said: “We thank everyone at Stonyhurst for their prayers and support for Kundai.”

“We really appreciate it.”

Neurofibromatosis

Usually diagnosed in childhood Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a life-long disorder with a variety of potential complications and variation in severity.

It causes tumours to grow along various types of nerves and can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin causing tumours to grow anywhere on or in the body.

All forms of NF are genetic disorders which can be inherited from a parent.

The type of NF inherited by the child is always the same as that of the affected parent, although the severity may differ from person to person within a family.