Now family, friends and villagers in Flamborough are all pulling together in a race against time to get him the help he needs by holding a whole day of fund-raising.

Eight-month-old Owen was recently diagnosed with severe Brachiocephaly – otherwise known as Flat Head Syndrome – which can be corrected by fitting him with a special helmet.

But his distraught parents, Dean and Gemma, were told by doctors the treatment for his form of the illness was not available on the NHS – and they would have to find almost £2,000 to pay for it themselves.

"I was absolutely gutted," said 21-year-old Gemma, "I was in floods of tears, it was horrible.

"All I could think was 'where's this money going to come from?'."

Gemma was referred to a specialist private clinic in Leeds which supplies, fits and supports patients with the American-designed corrective cranial helmet, which needs tightening every few weeks.

She was told the helmet, known as a Starband, was Owen's best chance of growing up with a normal-shaped head.

"Now we're just desperate to raise the money to give Owen the chance to go through school without cruel tongues attacking him," said Gemma.

The Starband is most effective when fitted to babies under 10 months old – leaving his family just eight weeks to raise enough money to have one designed and fitted in time.

However, Dean's family, who live in Flamborough, have taken up the
challenge and set the wheels in motion for a day of fund-raising in the village.

The couple, who have recently moved to Hull, have been overwhelmed by the support shown by villagers.

Dean said: "It's brilliant what everybody is doing for us. Everybody is bringing in ideas to help and we never expected the village to pull together so well."

Dean's aunt and uncle, Sonya and Simon Tweedale, own village butcher's shop Burndales Joint, and have donated meat for a charity barbecue at
The Ship Inn on Sunday. There are posters all around the village and Sonya has been instrumental in organising the fund-raising.

She said: "It's just disgusting that they can't get this treatment on the NHS.

"They're a young couple and just don't have this kind of money, so we're doing all we can to help them."

The fund-raising events kick off on Sunday with an all-women sponsored pyjama walk, taking a four-mile circular route around the village, starting and finishing at The Ship Inn in Post Office
Street.

The walk will call in at every pub en-route to pick up any further donations and everybody is then invited back to the Ship for the charity barbecue and a karaoke session.

Landlady of The Ship Inn, Anna Crampin, said she and husband Kim were delighted to be helping.

Kim said: "Owen is such a smiley, jolly baby. And it's such a shame for him. We said that if we could do anything to help, we would, and the support has just been amazing.

"It all started from just one text message I got from Sonya and now the whole village is involved!"

Hopes and expectations are high as Owen's future health rests on the money being raised on Sunday. Anything collected over the £1,950 needed will be donated to charity by the family.

A spokesperson for Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust which is responsible for such funding decisions, said: "This is something which is not routinely funded by the NHS because it is considered a cosmetic procedure and the problem can correct itself. However we would consider an application to our Exceptional Treatment Panel which would consider the individual case."

Anybody wishing to contribute to the fund-raising day for Owen is invited to join in the events starting at the Ship Inn from noon.

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