A FUNDRAISING campaign to send a young boy to America for a potentially life-changing operation is going strong, having now gone past its halfway mark.

Buster and Anna Jones from Sheepwash are looking to raise £65,000 for their two-year-old grandson Jenson Tucker.

Jenson was diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, at six months old. Shortly after his first birthday, he was also diagnosed with epilepsy. As a result of his conditions, he is currently unable to sit, stand or walk unaided.

The couple are fundraising so Jenson can travel to St Louis Children's Hospital in America and have a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) operation. The procedure aims to reduce spasms caused by Jenson's condition and give him the best chance of becoming mobile. The money will also be put toward physiotherapy and special equipment to help get him on his feet following the operation.

A promises auction at the Pier House in Westward Ho! raised £9,525 for the appeal, taking the total raised to just over £38,000. There was a variety of items in the auction, including signed shirts from the England rugby team and Exeter Chiefs, holidays, and a signed picture of Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic. Andrew Varney, of Hatherleigh Market, was in charge of the lots going under the hammer.

The next fundraising boost for the campaign will come from Waitrose in Okehampton, who are supporting the appeal with their Community Matters token scheme from November 1.

To follow the progress of the appeal online go to http://www.justgiving.com/jensonspage">www.justgiving.com/jensonspage or to contact Buster and Anna Jones email them at [email protected]">[email protected] or phone 01409 231498 for more information.