A FUNDRAISER for a Cowdenbeath boy who suffered a devastating brain injury just weeks after his first birthday raised over £1,700 at the weekend.

ArloFest was held in Hugo's in Dalgety Bay on Saturday evening with proceeds going to help little Arlo Newbigging.

The festival was organised by West Fife bank worker Lorraine Mackie, a colleague of Arlo's mum Tracey, who has now raised around £12,500 since July.

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, of Woodbank, 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 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 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 said. "It was so good and everyone had an absolutely brilliant time. I had already brought in £1000 because I had sold 100 tickets at £10 so that brought in £1000 and on the actual night, we raised £755.

"I couldn’t have had the ArloFest without Hugo’s support. They were amazing. The other businesses that supported were Dare Hairdressing, Fill your Flute, Hollywood Bowl, Salon XI, Beauty Within, Nails at No.9, House of Beauty, Kingdom Cupcakes, Black Box Burgers and Marini's."

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