A kind-hearted stranger has donated £100,000 to an Aberdeen teen so he can travel to America for sight-saving surgery.
Jack Dow’s family has been raising money for a special operation in the United States to allow the 18-year-old to fulfill his dream of becoming a Royal Marine.
Last summer Jack was diagnosed with a two-inch arteriovenous malformation – known as an AVM.
It is a tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins disrupting normal blood flow and oxygen circulation.
If untreated, it has a 6-7% chance of hemorrhaging every year.
NHS doctors suggested if they operated and remove it Jack could lose 50% of his vision.
This would stop him from achieving his ultimate goal of becoming a Royal Marine.
His family launched a campaign three weeks ago to help them reach the £147,000 cost of specialist surgery in America.
And now an unexpected donator has sent £100,000 to the family.
Donator wished to remain anonymous
Jack’s father Willie Dow told The Press and Journal the generous woman wanted to remain anonymous but said she was touched when she read Jack’s story online and wanted to help.
He said: “She phoned me up and said Jack’s case rung true for her.
“She said it pushed a few buttons for her and that she is a human being.
“I said to her you don’t even know me or my family.
“She said, ‘I can hear you’re an emotional man and want to help’.”
‘She is a tremendous lady’
Mr Dow, who was in the RAF, said she deposited the £100,000 directly into his bank account. He has since updated the GoFundMe page with the deposit.
He said the mysterious donator’s very wealthy husband had died eight years ago and told her to help people with his money.
She now goes through GoFundMe a few times a week to help out those she can.
“I don’t think you get many people like that”, said Mr Dow.
“She is a tremendous lady. A lady with a heart of gold.
“I am totally overwhelmed.”
Fundraiser appeal continues
Due to the generous donation, the fundraiser has now reached £190,000, smashing its initial £147,000 target.
Now the family has enough cash to proceed with the treatment.
But Mr Dow says when he phoned the specialist surgeon in Miami they explained there is also an additional surgeons fee of 30%, which raises the bill by around £60,000.
The post-surgery rehabilitation in Florida was also unaccounted for in the initial fundraiser, and the family has now decided to keep the campaign going.
Free burgers for Jack’s surgery
A number of others have also stepped forward to help push the campaign over the line.
This week Mr Dow was contacted by Yilmaz Huseyin, who runs the Yilmaz Snack Bar on Hareness Road in Altens.
Mr Huseyin got in touch after seeing the campaign online and has decided to give out free food at his van on Saturday to help with the appeal.
Instead of paying, customers have been asked to donate to Jack’s surgery fund.
“He is a young lad so we decided to do what we can to help the community”, said Mr Huseyin.
“We are always here to help anyone who needs it.
“What goes around comes around.”
It is not the first time 33-year-old married father of two Mr Huseyin has given out free food for a good cause.
Outpouring of support has been ‘absolutely amazing’
The outpouring of community support has left Mr Dow feeling emotional.
His daughter Lexi’s school is holding a fundraiser, Beekies Neuk bar in Newmacher is having a bingo night and various other organisations are hosting raffles and walks.
“It feels absolutely amazing”, he said.
“The amount of support we have had from people I don’t even know.”
He said Jack is still doing his best to go to college, but often has a lot of pain in his head, and sometimes has to stay at home.
“He is a trooper and he marches on”, said Mr Dow.
“I am very proud of him.
“Hopefully when we get the surgery it improves.
“All I can do as a parent is give my child the best chance.”
To donate to Jack’s treatment visit the GoFundMe page.
Conversation