An 11-year-old boy from Ellesmere Port is completing a charity challenge on the popular video game Fortnite, to raise funds for the Stillbirth and Natal Death Society (Sands).
Jamie Hartley has suffered with the effects of Long Covid since contracting the virus in 2019, but upon hearing about how the charity supported his family through the death of his older brother in 2009, he was keen to find a way to contribute. His brother was born with Anencephaly, a condition which affects the brain and bones of the skull, preventing them from forming correctly. It is a rare condition which occurs in around 3 of 10,000 pregnancies in the UK each year.
Prior to Covid, Jamie had played football and had competed in duathlons for charity, but over the last couple of years it has been hard for him to regain his fitness and confidence. His mum now says he is “slowly getting there” again. This virtual challenge allowed him to raise the money in a different way.
Amanda Hartley, Jamie’s mum, said: “He did want to do a 24hr gaming marathon but we didn’t feel this would be good for him. Plus, I’m still being that responsible adult and monitoring his computer and gaming times even though he is doing an incredible thing for charity and raising awareness. We did compromise though and we have allowed extra gaming time at the weekends throughout February. We couldn’t be prouder of him!”
Jamie has previously raised thousands for local charities, including Stick N Step in Runcorn
With the help of his friends, he hopes to get from five crowns to 20 on Fortnite and has currently surpassed his provisional target of £150, with £255 raised so far and 29 days of the challenge left to run.
If you would like to support Jamie’s efforts, more information and the link to donate can be found here.
Whilst this is the first time Jamie has raised money for a national charity, he has been a keen fundraiser for many years with around £2,500 given to local charities, including helping out with Stick N Step in Runcorn, who’s physiotherapy sessions have supported his sister with her disability.
