Students raise funds in memory of anaemia victim

Pupils at a Sharjah school have raised money for local charities in memory of a fellow student who died earlier this year.

The youngsters at Victoria English School raised Dh8,000 which they handed over to Laura Holman's parents Liz and Lawrie on Sunday along with a book of remembrance they had assembled.

Laura was born with Diamond Blackfan Anaemia, a rare hereditary condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce red blood cells. The 11-year-old Briton, who had to undergo blood transfusions every four to six weeks of her life, died in July from heart failure after collapsing at home while playing a computer game.

Head teacher Eileen Ritson said the school's 330 pupils, including Laura's 13-year-old sister Sarah, raised the money by holding a sponsored spelling competition.

"The children wanted to do something in Laura's memory and this is what they suggested," she said. "Laura was a little girl who could look quite sick and pale but it didn't matter how sick she was, she always came to school with a smile.

"When the pupils came back from the summer holidays, it was not a pleasant task to have to tell the children that we had lost a pupil. It was very upsetting for everyone, especially the children in her class."

Liz and husband Lawrie, who works as a health and safety advisor with Dragon Oil in Dubai, said they were touched by the children's gesture.

"I think they have done superbly, especially as spelling is something they all hate," Liz said."We are going to use the money to buy books, toys and a computer which will be given to local charities and organisations which helped Laura in her treatment."

Staff from Dragon Oil also raised Dh10,000 which has been donated to the Diamond Blackfan Anaemia Association in London to fund research.