A primary school boy from Swinton facing brain surgery this summer has ripped up the rule books by raising thousands from a dip in a bath of baked beans.
Eight-year-old Noah Rhea suffers from a rare condition known as Chiari Brain Malformation and will go under the surgeon’s knife in August to relieve pressure on his spinal cord.
The illness affects his balance and motor skills which can makes him unsteady on his feet.
In dreaming up the charity challenge the St Mary’s RC pupil wanted £1,000 to help pay for extra medical equipment at Royal Manchester Hospital.
But with a stunning response from local businesses and residents plucky Noah has pushed that total above £3,000.
Neighbours helped collect a staggering 275 tins of beans to fill the bath and on Saturday 25 July Noah plunged himself into the sauce in the back garden of his home on Lawn Drive in Swinton.
“The day itself was amazing,” said mum Joanne, 41.
“We opened the garden to the public and around 50-60 people turned up to watch, with all of them donating generously.”
Pictures from the day show Noah having a whale of a time splashing around in the bath while grinning friends pour buckets of cold baked beans over his head.
“He is obviously a bit nervous about the operation in August but which eight year old wouldn’t be?
“He tells me he can’t wait to get what he calls a ‘war wound’ – a scar from the operation so that he can show his school friends!”
Joanne praised the community spirit in Swinton while led to such a successful day.
“Laines, the waste collection people, came round and sucked up all the beans from the bath and took them away free of charge, and we were ever loaned a Portakabin for the day so we could oversee the challenge in comfort!
“Noah looks like he is going to smash his original aim of raising £1,000 and we are looking at a total of around £3,000 which I am gobsmacked at.
“I would like to thank everybody for their generosity, we have been really taken aback by it.
“He did extremely well and I am so proud of him,” she added.
