F1 Charity Action Launched to Help Fund Caya Newman's Operation

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Famous racing drivers donate personal items to help Fulham nine year-old

Local motor racing journalist, broadcaster and manager Peter Windsor has launched an F1 Charity Auction to help raise funds for nine year-old Fulham schoolgirl Caya Newman's life-changing operation and post-operative therapy.

Caya Newman

The auction, now live online, features an amazing array of items such as signed gloves used by Lewis Hamilton, signed race-winning overalls and a signed photograph from Nigel Mansell, an exclusive Sahara Force India factory tour for four people and four tickets to the 2017 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Caya, who attends Sulivan Primary School in Peterborough Road suffers from a painful condition called spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, which affects her muscles.

Caya’s mum Lucy Machin, who lives with her family in Townmead Road, explained last year that after NHS funding was stopped for the selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) operation, which cuts the nerves in the spinal cord that contribute to the condition, she was determined to find a way to foot the bill.

In all that bill comes to over £40,000 - including £31,000 for the operation and at least another £10,000 for the ongoing, intensive physiotherapy required afterwards.

The good news is that Caya has now had her operation and says Lucy on her fundraising page:
" Caya is doing so well, she is already doing things that she has never done before, many of them little things that most people wouldn't even notice but are just amazing to see. And getting excited when she does them...

"I just wish that everyone who needed this operation was able to have it.

"Thank you all again xx"

Caya and mum Lucy

As we reported in October, the Fulham community has pulled together for Caya, and to date 295 people have raised a huge total of £24,670.

However, with around £14,000 still to be raised, Peter Windsor has stepped in to provide further help. On his blog, he says: " I’m very pleased to announce that we are auctioning a number of unique F1-related items in aid of charity. The catalyst for the fund-raising is a little girl I know who is battling cerebral palsy. She plays in the school band, she laughs and screams with the others … but most of the time she’s either in a wheelchair or walking with splints.

"In order to raise money for her upcoming (very expensive) operations and treatment, I approached several of my friends at the British GP last year. The question was simple: could they please donate a personal item to auction in a good cause?

" I told them about nine year-old Caya Newman, who lives near me, and I told them of our plan, together with CharityStars and Bonhams, to display the items on-line initially (for global bidding) and then to auction them at an event in the gorgeous classic car showrooms of Joe Macari. The items will go to the highest bidders, be they on-line or 'live' on the night.

"The response from the drivers and several team people was brilliant – as you will see if you go to the auction site via the following link."

Peter Windsor

Peter adds that he was very touched by the trouble taken by all the F1 people. He says: " Lewis Hamilton signed a pair of his 2016 gloves but has also gone to the trouble of having them framed; Damon Hill wanted to ensure that the overalls he gave me were from his World Championship-winning 1996 season; Daniel Ricciardo’s overalls are from 2014 – when he began to win; and Pirelli, brilliantly, have been supportive from Day One."

Though he doesn't know how much the auction will raise, Peter says he is hoping it will be enough to help not only Caya’s family but also two other charities, WellChild, who support the families of sick children and Damon Hill’s Halow Project, which supports those with learning disabilities.

I’m hoping, too, that we can make this an annual thing – a chance to help some kids, to have a nice party at Joe’s and to enable some very personal and authentic F1 items to be out there in the bidding world.

I’d like to say a very big thankyou to all the people who have contributed items for auction and also to Pirelli, Joe Macari, CharityStars (who have put together the on-line aspect of the auction), Bonhams, WellChild and Halow. And also to Caya Newman for being such a star."

 

January 26, 2017