All of Bristol knows about Oskar Pycroft. He’s the young lad who needs surgery, known as selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), in order to give him a chance of walking. If nothing else, the operation should take away the pain this wonderful little boy suffers every day in his life. The NHS won’t pay for his operation because it doesn’t fall into their criteria, so it fell to others to raise the money, a trifling £50,000, for him to have the operation performed privately.
There are some real heroes here. Oskar himself, obviously, who has inspired everyone in Bristol, red and blue, black and white, rich and poor. And some people who went above and beyond to raise this astonishing amount of money.
Scott Wright runs the Darren Wright Foundation in respect of his own brother who has cerebral palsy. He has been a key figure in the fund-raising and on Sunday, the day Bristol City defeated Walsall to win the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Wembley, it was announced that the appeal has reached its target. Not only that, Oskar’s operation is now scheduled for May. We know that Oskar’s journey is far from over. SDR is not, in itself, a cure-all but it is a major landmark on the road. But if anyone can keep fighting for a brighter day, then its Oskar. And Scott, who led a team of hardy souls in a magnificent walk from Ashton Gate to Wembley, deserves a huge pat on the back, some corn plasters and a large glass of something cold!
Of course Oskar has united Bristol as a city and Bristol as the place where two footballing rivals occasionally square up. Did anyone really doubt it? Did anyone really think Gasheads would turn their back on this little lad just because he wore his Bristol City kit when he turned up at the Memorial Stadium? No – they loved it. And why did they love it? Because Oskar needed all our help and nothing mattered less than the colour of a football shirt.
And Nick Day: what can I say? I have known Nick, Radio Presenter, PA announcer and businessman, through thin times and thinner at the Rovers and I am proud to call him a friend. I am even more proud of his efforts for Oskar because he made an enormous difference. I promise you, for a few weeks, Oskar Pycroft was his life’s work and I am not exaggerating. I would love to see him on the pitch at Ashton Gate, alongside Oskar, representing Rovers and getting the reception he truly deserves – a resounding boo!
Oskar’s story is not over yet. Bristol – this magnificent city has delivered when it really mattered. Not just in money, but in giving us all much-needed perspective in life and spreading the love. In short, you may have changed a little boy’s life forever. I hope you feel good about this because I do and once again I am so proud to call myself a Bristolian.
