PRUDHOE Netball Club has raised more than £1,200 in memory of one of their members’ sons, who died last year following a short battle with a rare disease.

Hayley Nevin of the netball team organised a fundraising event at Prudhoe and Mickley Unionist Club on Saturday, July 22 for the charity Histio UK, which funds research into the rare and aggressive blood condition, histiocytosis.

Team member Holly McLean and her partner Sam lost their son George to haemophagocytic histiocytosis (HLH) last August, when he was only six weeks old.

Shortly after being diagnosed, George contracted septicaemia, which he was unable to fight off because his immune system was so weak. He passed away on his older sister Isabella’s third birthday on August 6.

Hayley said that Holly, who then lived at Chapel House in Newcastle but has since moved to Tynedale, was over the moon that the fundraiser had been held for a charity which funded research into the disease.

The event attracted dozens of people and raised £1225 through a disco, raffles, tombola and a chance to win a holiday to Cyprus, thanks to donations from local businesses.

As well as raising money, the night helped raise awareness of histiocytosis, and booklets of information provided by the charity were on hand for people to find out more about what they do.

“I think the message got across really well that night,” said Hayley.

“It’s a small charity because it’s such a rare disease, but they do really important work doing research and looking at treatments and cures.

“We did it because we wanted to give something back, so other families didn’t have to go through what Holly and Sam did.”