Raising Funds for TOM

27 November 2009

Alun, middle of back row, lines up for the race with Donna, holding TOM T-shirt right in front row.

A WORLE man has raised more than £1,000 to fight diabetes for a colleague who set up a charity after losing her son to the condition.

Alun Romano, human resources business partner for Magnet Kitchens, helped manager Donna Lennock, from the Coventry branch, battle her grief after her 15-year-old son Thomas Bucciero died of a type one diabetes-related illness just before Christmas last year.

Tom

He said: "I represented the company at his funeral and it was terribly sad for Donna.

"We agreed to do something to raise money and to give her a focus to get through her difficult time."

The charity's logo, designed by Tom's Auntie Luisa.

Thomas, the only child of Donna and partner Tony, was four years old when he was diagnosed.

No-one knows what causes the unavoidable condition which is usually discovered during childhood.

Thomas, who was a popular Grade A student, passed away in his sleep of Ketoacidosis, a rare condition commonly known as a diabetic coma.

Tony said: "Throughout his life, especially as he matured into a fine young man, Thomas often stated that he wished that he could find a cure for diabetes.

"Whilst he was pragmatic and understood that many people suffer from far worse conditions, he naturally hoped for the day when he didn't have to inject insulin and restrict his diet so tightly.

"When he died unexpectedly the devastation that Donna and I felt was indescribable. "Very quickly we seized upon the idea that we had to do something positive, and in his name, in order to make some sense out of the tragedy.

"We decided to form a charity called Type One Mission (TOM) to supply funds for research into a cure for type one diabetes.

"The idea has now mushroomed into a fully registered charity with its own website and has received in excess of £8,500 in a very short period of time."

Alun and nine co-workers ran the Leicester Half Marathon, close to Birstall where Tom's parents live, raising £1300.

Alun, of Daley Close, was running around eight miles, three times a week leading up to the race, until he pulled a calf muscle three weeks before.

He said: "I couldn't train on roads at all as it would have made the muscle worse.

"A physiotherapist recommended only swimming and cross-training in a gym to keep fit.

"So I contacted Esporta to see if they would let me use the facilities.

"The general manager Mark Johns was great, and he and the membership manager Liz Frost let me use the pool and gym free of charge.

"I finished the race in three hours, which was a bit slow but I was under doctor's orders to walk the first four miles to get the muscle warmed up."

The team is back in training for the Bristol Half Marathon next year to raise more funds for the charity.

Tony added: "People like Alun who have supported TOM not only provide the effort and money to a worthwhile cause but provide Donna and I with that little bit of faith that people do care and are at heart, essentially supportive and good.

"I can't describe how important that is to us.

"It's about honouring Thomas in a way that would have really made him proud."



Capts - 1. The team line-up for the marathon with Alun Romano in middle of back row and Donna holding T-shirt on right.

2 - Tom Bucciero

3 - The charity's logo, designed by Tom's auntie Luisa.