A SOUTHAMPTON couple have raised thousands of pounds for charity in memory of their late son.

Andy and Sophie Baker’s son Isaac died aged just two in 2013 due to a rare genetic condition that caused problems with his bone marrow.

Now the couple, from Shirley, have raised £27,000 after launching Isaac’s Gift, a fund set up to raise cash for Southampton Hospital Charity and the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Sophie said: “Having seen first-hand the superb work done by Southampton Hospital Charity and the Anthony Nolan Trust, they were obvious charities to support.

“Isaac had a bone marrow transplant in March 2013, and we’ll always be grateful to the donor who gave him a chance of a healthy life. Without the donor register run by the Anthony Nolan Trust, he wouldn’t have even had that chance.

“We spent the last four months of Isaac’s life on the Paediatric Medical Unit at Southampton General Hospital, and that inspired us to fundraise for new equipment for that ward.”

Isaac suffered from cartilage hair hypoplasia (CHH), which affects just one in 100,000 children. It affects the immune system meaning any illness could prove fatal.

The money has enabled the hospital to buy six new heart monitors and it has also paid for 140 potential bone marrow donors to be added to the Anthony Nolan register.

It has also funded a special chair that helps children under-two with complex needs gain a greater level of independence.

Daily Echo:

Isaac Baker

Andy added: “Isaac had many complications following his transplant, one of which left him almost completely paralysed.

“In less than a week, he went from being a bright, cheery toddler to being unable to move, so when the occupational therapists were able to provide him with a chair to help him sit up, it made a real difference.

“When a child needs a specialist chair, like Isaac did, that can take several weeks to order. We wanted to give the occupational therapy team a chair that they can lend to a wide range of children in the hospital at a moment’s notice.”

The couple both work at ExxonMobil in Fawley and their fund was boosted after the company made a donation for every day without a significant safety incident, raising £3,000.

Sophie added: “At the end of April, we’ll both be running the Southampton half marathon with the aim of raising even more.”