DERBYSHIRE-based skip hire and waste management company Colson Transport was so moved to hear the story of local boy, Kori Parkin Stovell, that its bosses decided they had to reach out to help.
Seven-year-old Kori was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a complex and rare birth defect which affects normal blood flow through the heart. After undergoing three major heart surgeries, the young boy’s parents were told that he needed a heart transplant to stand any chance of survival.
Kori, just six at the time, received the transplant on March 10, 2018. For the following three months, he was kept in hospital, mostly in isolation due to rejection, before he was allowed to return home.
But the complications were still not over for Kori. He still needed to be kept largely in isolation, as attending school and playing among other children could have put him at serious risk due to exposure to germs. He needed a safe space to learn and play.
Mum, Kerrylee Stovell, turned to the supportive local community in Ripley for help. A friend kindly donated a caravan to the family, but they had no way of getting it over the wall and into their back garden.
So when Colson Transport’s bosses heard about the family’s plea, they were more than happy to offer a helping hand. They promptly sent round one of their crane lorries to lift the caravan and place it in the back garden.
Director of Colson Transport, Ellie Colson, said: “Kori struck a chord in all our hearts. Most of our employees have children and grandchildren, and to know that such a little boy has gone through so much in such a short time of his life, we felt we needed – and of course, wanted – to help out in any way we could.
“Moving the caravan was a small gesture from us as a company but it was undeniable how much that meant to Kori, and it honestly meant the world to us to see how happy it made him.”
Kerrylee commented: “The caravan is the start of a huge project to revamp the garden that went totally wild whilst Kori was in for a heart transplant. This van gives him a space away from painful procedures and will be a haven when it’s renovated.”