ONE of the youngest members of a tragedy-hit family is following in the footsteps of his brave relatives.

Eleven-year-old Blaine Parker, who suffers from crippling Perthes Disease, is taking part in a sponsored swim, with money raised being used to send ill and disabled children to the French shrine Lourdes.

And his brave and selfless gesture comes as no surprise when you consider the other members of this amazing family.

In 1997, the BEN ran the heartbreaking story of Blaine's grandad who died believing he left the gift of a healthy future to his only son - Blaine's uncle.

As Terry Lightfoot lay dying of brain cancer, he had one burning hope - that his son, Chris, would at last have a chance of a normal life with the donation of his father's remaining kidney.

Sadly, tests indicated the transplant would not be successful and it did not take place.

It was Terry's second gift of love. He had already given one healthy kidney for transplant into Chris, but Chris's body rejected the organ after the operation in 1992.

Both Chris's brave sisters, Blaine's mum Jill and her sibling Susan, had volunteered their kidneys, but Terry's was the match chosen.

Chris has endured a life of pain, surgery and dialysis treatment at the family home in Kenwood Road, Moss Bank.

Now aged 31, he was one of the youngest patients to go on self-administered dialysis in 1987.

And the brave examples set by his family have obviously had a knock-on effect on young Blaine.

It was just 18 months ago that the normally active youngster was struck down by Perthes' disease.

Perthes' disease is an affliction of the hip in children, due to fragmentation of the spongy extremity of the head of the femur.

Karate

Blaine's mum, Jill, from Utley Street, Halliwell, said he was studying for his black belt in karate when he began to complain of a pain in his leg.

"We initially thought he'd pulled a muscle, but we knew it was something more serious when it made him cry just to walk. He's not a soft lad, and he used to try and hide the pain he was in. "

His condition was eventually diagnosed at Pendlebury Children's Hospital.

Last year it was discovered that Blaine's leg bone had shifted itself completely out of the hip socket and he underwent major surgery.

"They broke his pelvis and made it so that his leg bone can't come out of the joint," said his mum. "He was in plaster from his chest to his toes for five months."

But as Jill reveals, brave Blaine, who now uses a wheelchair and crutches to get around, rarely complains about his plight.

She said: "Sometimes when he is watching his friends playing football he says 'I'm fed up of this disease mum', but more usually, he just gets on with it. There are always people worse off than you."

Despite suffering from this debilitating disease Blaine tries to live as normally as possible.

He is a part-time pupil at Thornleigh Salesian College, and he continues to enjoy sport, albeit now as a spectator.

And on Saturday brave Blaine, accompanied by his grandmother Norma, will attempt a length of the baths at Horwich Leisure Centre.

"He's not done any exercise since being struck down by Perthes' Disease, so this is a big step for him," said a clearly proud Jill.

The sponsored swim, which has been organised by Ken and Sheila Hogg from the HCPT Pilgrimage Trust and Father Patrick Tansey from St James The Great in Johnson Fold, takes place between 5pm and 7pm.

Blaine has already raised more than £100 in sponsorship for the event.

Further details from Ken Hogg on Bolton 843114.

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