A PRESTON community has vowed to support a local family as their youngest son prepares for a life-saving operation.

Aron Thornley of Farringdon Park is facing major surgery for a rare condition where the bones in his skull stop separating - and cause pressure on the brain to slowly build up.

Family friends and neighbours have embarked on a fund-raising effort to buy the family a portrait session before Aron goes to hospital and a dream trip to Disneyland afterwards.

Mum Glenda said: "Aron is suffering from craniosynostosis which starts while the child is in the womb.

"They are operating on him at Alder Hey on May 10 to make room for his brain to develop.

"If they don't do it, he will slowly get brain damage and have no quality of life.

"Because the condition was diagnosed so late, his bone will not be able to grow back, so he'll have to have more operations later on.

"I want to make sure everyone knows about the condition because if it had been picked up earlier Aron could have gone through the operation at an age when he wouldn't have remembered it."

And Glenda has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from locals.

Friends arranging for Aron to see Jack Frost at the cinema were baffled when they found it had been taken off after the school holidays - but big-hearted bosses at the Capitol Centre's Warner Brother cinema put on a special showing for him and 20 of his friends.

And this weekend, Aron, who wants to be a policeman when he's older, brother James and dad Ian, will all get a ride in a police car to Lancashire Constabulary's Hutton headquarters.

Fund-raiser Lynn Fahey said: "We just want to make life as easy as possible for the family up to the operation. We are holding a jumble sale from 1pm to 3pm and fun night from 8.30pm on May 8, at Farringdon Park Community Centre in Thirlmere Road.

"It just goes to show what a great community spirit there is in Farringdon Park."

Anyone who would like to donate raffle prizes or money should contact Lynn on (01772) 516336 or Pam on (01772) 702533.

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