A FUNDRAISER organised by a West Fife bank worker has helped raise more than £1,700 to help the little son of a colleague who suffered a devastating brain injury just weeks after his first birthday.

ArloFest was held in Hugo's in Dalgety Bay on Saturday evening and took Lorraine Mackie's fundraising total for little Arlo Newbigging to around £12,500.

The youngster, who turns three later this month, went into respiratory and cardiac arrest after a viral infection attacked his lungs in October 2019.

His parents, Tracey and Garry, who live in Woodbank, Cowdenbeath, were told to say goodbye to their son but the little fighter began breathing again and was taken to Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital where he was placed on a ventilator for two weeks.

After four months in hospital, the youngster was able to return home but faces constant medical appointments as medics fight to help him regain some functions.

As a result of the lack of oxygen when doctors at the Victoria Hospital fought to resuscitate him, Arlo suffered a severe brain injury which has left him visually-impaired and means he has to be fed through a gastric tube and is unable to carry out basic functions.

Lorraine, who works at Sainsbury's Bank in Rosyth with Tracey, was keen to help out so that Arlo is able to get additional treatments which could help, such as oxygen therapy and private physiotherapy.

"Anything we can do to make his wee life better is what it is all about," she said. "He has had some oxygen therapy already. His dad goes into the chamber with him but that is £90 a session although, because they have block-booked sessions, they got them a little cheaper.

"Because of what happened to him, he was starved of oxygen and this is giving him pure oxygen. They are saying the brain can re-root. They are not saying he will be able to see miracles but after the six sessions, they are seeing changes with his eyes already.

"He had also been getting private physio as well. That is £130 a session but they are seeing differences in Arlo. They say he seems to be more at peace with himself so everything is sounding positive."

Saturday's fundraiser at Hugo's included music from DJ Joose, a raffle and tombola.

Lorraine was delighted with how it had gone.

"It was amazing," she added. "It was so good and everyone had an absolutely brilliant time. I had already brought in £1,000 because I had sold 100 tickets at £10 and on the actual night, we raised £755.

"I couldn’t have had the ArloFest without Hugo’s support. They were amazing."

Anyone wanting to add to Lorraine's fundraising can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lorraine-elliott?utm_term=rmzng7Nbp.