Rory shows guts with fundraising gesture

A FIVE-year-old boy who was forced to give up food for six weeks has finally been able to tuck into his favourite meal – sausages.

Young Rory Kemp has an undiagnosed stomach condition and was instructed by doctors to stop eating completely to enable them to work out the cause of his illness.

Upset that he could no longer eat his favourite snacks of crisps and sausages, the youngster decided to turn his enforced fast into a charity challenge – and has managed to raise an impressive 2,200 for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Now the Hermitage Park Primary pupil is back to his normal self and is able to take part in family meals once again and is delighted he managed to raise so much money.

During the six weeks he was banned from food, the primary one pupil was fed through a tube and had to stay away from his family and friends while they were eating.

His family have now ceremoniously placed the tube in the bin and are pleased to have the old Rory back.

Writing on Rory's fundraising website, his parents Jenny and Merlin, from Lochend, thanked everyone for their support and fundraising pledges during the "tough times".

They said: "We so appreciate it and this website has really kept Rory going during some tough times.

"He's so chuffed to have received donations from far and wide, and all the messages of support and encouragement really made him smile. Now it's back to normal life – packed lunches, family meals, trips to cafes, and of course sausages, which we are having for tea tonight.

"Rory has been amazingly brave, upbeat and accepting throughout this challenge, he has been a real star.

"Thank you again – very sincerely – you have really helped us all get through a long and testing six weeks and in so doing, have sent a massive sum to Haiti, where it is so needed."

Rory was diagnosed with a digestive problem when he was three, but has been in remission for two years.

However, he was taken into hospital just after Christmas after falling ill again.

Doctors believe he has either Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, which is why they instructed his parents to keep him off solid foods to give his digestive system a break, instead feeding him a liquid diet through a tube in his nose.

They hope the break has given his digestive system the rest that it needed and that the youngster will make a full recovery. They added: "He now has lots more energy and has regained all the weight he lost when he was so ill.

"We're very hopeful this has worked, and if it hasn't, it's put him on a great footing for whatever comes next."

Rory's parents set up a fundraising page, where former First Minister Jack McConnell left a comment describing him as "brave and thoughtful".

To donate go to www.justgiving.com/roryschallenge