An Earby teenage boy is having his legs waxed for charity on Sunday to pay back a hospital for a life changing operation almost 16 years ago.
Kaleb Arnold (15), of Skipton Road, will battle through the pain a day before his 16th birthday with the aim of raising as much cash as possible for the Manchester Children’s Hospital charity.
At two-and-a-half months old, Kaleb was rushed to the children’s hospital and underwent life-saving surgery to remove a Meckel’s band, losing up to a third of his intestine in the process.
The leg wax will take place at Strategy in Barnoldswick where Kaleb works as a glass collector, there will be a raffle and local band Decoys will kick things off at 3pm.
Kaleb said: “I think one of the reason’s I decided to to a leg wax is because it’s painful and people enjoy watching you go through pain like this.
“I’ve wanted to do something for charity for a while and it’s a little bit different from the sport-type charity fund-raisers.”
And Kaleb, who has just finished West Craven High Technology College before starting a programming course at Nelson and Colne College in September, has made mum Shelley Franklin proud.
Shelley said: “I remember Kaleb screaming in agony and not being able to keep anything down.
“He was taken to Burnley but at the time they couldn’t operate as he was under four months old.
“They were absolutely brilliant at Manchester. And it’s not just the treatment, they provide accommodation, and myself and his dad were there for a week while he was in.
“He was like a little pin cushion bless him, they took so many blood samples while they worked out what was wrong. I’m very grateful for what they did and I’m extremely proud of Kaleb for wanting to do this.”
Donation tins and sponsor forms are dotted around shops in Barnoldswick or you can go online to www.justgiving.com/Shelley-Franklin/ to donate.
