AN appeal to help a Carlton Colville boy's wish come true received another big boost this week.

More than �17,000 has now been raised in just two months for Owen's Wish2Walk campaign – set up to pay for medical treatment to help three-year-old Owen Baldry walk unaided for the first time.

The appeal is seeking to send Owen – who has spastic diplegic cerebral palsy – to a hospital in St Louis in the United States, where he will undergo an operation which is not available to him on the NHS.

This week, the fund was boosted with a �440 contribution raised at a dinner, dance and raffle and a number of other donations, including 'a very generous' �1,000 given by Karpet Kingdom in Lowestoft.

Owen's parents, Carl and Sacha Baldry, remain in awe of the fantastic support shown by local people.

Mr Baldry, 27, said: 'We are grateful to Roger Harrod and Karpet Kingdom for this very generous donation.'

Pleased to help the appeal, Roger Harrod, managing director at Karpet Kingdom in Whapload Road, said: 'We're delighted to support this very worthy cause. I'm very fortunate to have six grandchildren and we were only too pleased to do something to help young Owen. Hopefully other businesses in the town back this appeal too.'

The appeal aims to raise �50,000 to send Owen to the St Louis Children's Hospital for the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, and a host of events have already been organised to boost the fund-raising.

'Tomorrow we have a small sponsored walk from Carlton Colville to Beccles taking place and next week we have bag-packing at Morrison's in south Lowestoft on Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm,' Mr Baldry said.

An Easter family fun night has also been organised at the Alderman pub on Hollingsworth Road from 6pm on Saturday, March 31, and on Good Friday, April 5, a hot cross bun breakfast has been organised with the family of Blake Barley, from Dereham, who recently had the same operation in America that is planned for Owen.

In what promises to a be a busy April and May for the Baldrys, a host of other events have been lined up including: a car boot sale at Uplands Community Centre, Carlton Colville, on April 7; an Easter Egg hunt at the Uplands on April 8; a street sale in Pakefield on April 9, a quiz night at the Uplands on April 14; bag packing at Asda on April 21 and a special Cantors for Kids family fun night at Oulton Community Centre on April 21 at 7pm. Tickets for this event are �4.50 and are available from The Journal offices in London Road North.

'May is also a big month with lots of events planned,' Mr Baldry added.

To help the Wish2Walk Appeal by organising an event or to find out how to make a donation, contact Mr Baldry on 07916 859358. To donate online, visit www.justgiving.com/owenswish2walk