Boy, 6, with mystery illness gives aunt's £600 birthday cash to Sick Kids fund

Published on Friday 21 August 2009 10:02

SINCE his birth, six-year-old Orin Draper has never been free of pain.

The Midlothian boy's rare kidney complications – which have left them three times the normal size – have seen him in and out of hospital throughout his life, and continue to baffle medics.

But he and his family are so grateful for the treatment he has received in the city, he has presented a cheque worth 600 to the campaign for a new Sick Kids hospital.

His mother Julie, 42, first learned of the problems with his kidneys when he was in the womb, and the checks, tests and procedures are set to continue as he is used very much as a "case study" for the problem.

The Gorebridge woman said: "Even when he was a baby you could just feel something wasn't right. His kidney was three times the normal size and other tests found problems with the other one.

"They've seen it happen with one kidney before, but never both, so he's very much a case study, everything that takes place is a bit of a new thing."

Orin had to have stents inserted into his kidneys to improve flow between them and his bladder.

He's also saddled with pain in his back, which has peaks and troughs, but has never gone away completely.

His grandmother Sheila Clark, 72, from Granton, said: "He's never been without that discomfort, so the thought that one day that might go away is really something.

"He never complains, he just gets on with it, and I suppose he's never known any other way.

"You could never tell from looking at him that he's going through that pain."

Mrs Draper, along with chef husband Christopher, and siblings Emerald, 17, Saul, 14, and Jasmin 13, all moved back from Leeds to get more family help with Orin.

Despite his rare condition, they are keen that the Hawthorn Den primary pupil isn't excluded from the activities of any normal six-year-old. "He loves football, cricket and even wrestling," added Mrs Draper. "I'm not one of these panic mums who would just rush him into hospital for anything, and he's not wrapped in cotton wool.

"We don't really know what the future will hold, there's nothing to base it on. It could be that as he grows, the problems ease, we just don't know.

"We wanted to give money to the campaign because every time we have come here it's been fantastic and I've been able to stay."

The money was raised after Orin's aunt Linda Clark requested donations to the Evening News-backed New Pyjamas campaign instead of presents for her 50th birthday.

That fundraising initiative hopes to raise 15 million for the new hospital by the time it opens in 2012 at Little France.

David Mitchell, creative director of the New Pyjamas campaign, said: "Orin and his family are an inspiration to us all. He has benefited from the superlative care provided by the Sick Kids and, at only six years old, has shown his determination to raise funds for the New Pyjamas campaign for the new Sick Kids hospital.

"We are very lucky to have the support of such a dedicated youngster."