A painting and decorating lecturer at UHI Inverness recently welcomed his sister back to the learning institute’s campus to receive a charity donation in memory of her son who sadly passed away last year.
Donna Mitchell worked as a classroom assistant in the supported education team at the college for 18 years and left in 2018 to care for her son Reece after he was diagnosed at the age of five with Batten disease, a rare childhood disorder of the nervous system.
Reece was ten when he passed away last May while attending a children’s hospice. Throughout his illness, the Batten Disease Family Association CIO (BDFA) was the main source of support for Reece, his mother and sisters, and the wider family.
Donna maintains a close connection to UHI Inverness through her brother Mark Mitchell, a painting and decorating lecturer. He invited his sister and Sarah Kenrick from BDFA to the campus to be presented with a £500 cheque for the charity.
The money was given to the painting and decorating team by Derek Johnstone, of Valspar Trade, and Andrew Horn, of Valspar Retail, during the group’s visit to the college as part of its Valspar Trade College Tour which demonstrates the application of Valspar products to painting and decorating apprentices and students.
The lecturers and students decided to pass the Valspar Trade donation onto BDFA as a thank you for the support the charity had given the Mitchell family.
Mark Mitchell said, “As part of this initiative, Valspar Trade generously offered a £500 donation to a good cause of our choosing. Citizenship is embedded within the coursework and in the past my students and apprentices have donated to suicide prevention and cancer research charities. This time round we decided that our donation should go to the BDFA, which is a charity close to my heart.
“My nephew Reece was a normal little boy when, at the age of five, he was diagnosed with Batten disease, and it took everything from him. He couldn’t walk, talk, see or eat and he suffered massive seizures and childhood dementia. During his illness we were supported by the kindness of others, and particularly the charity BDFA.”
Donna Mitchell added, “When I went on Google to look for support, BDFA came up and they helped us from then on. I am so grateful to Mark, his colleagues and students for doing this. It will help raise awareness of Batten disease and the £500 will make such a difference in supporting other bereaved parents, which is a lovely way to remember Reece.”
Sarah Kenrick, head of Advocacy and Support at BDFA, explained how the small charity currently has eight members of staff and helps 132 children in the UK. She continued, “We are very grateful for this donation and in memory of Reece it will go towards our new online support group for bereaved parents across the UK.”
Derek Johnstone, who previously donated paint to allow UHI Inverness students to decorate a house for charity for free, said they made the £500 contribution in recognition of the value UHI Inverness brings in producing painters and decorators of the future to support the industry.
