THE story of a little boy who suffers with a rare condition that makes him prone to extreme bruising and bleeding has captured the hearts and attention of the nation.

Noah Edwards, aged four, suffers from platelet function disorder, which means he has to be extra careful and wear a special crash helmet when taking part in activities that other children take for granted.

Since the story appeared in your Worcester News and our sister paper the Malvern Gazette last month, Noah and his mum Ruby have seen their story splashed across the national press and appeared before millions on ITV’s Daybreak and BBC Breakfast.

That swell in interest has been echoed by members of the public, with Mrs Edwards calling the response “phenomenal”. She said: “We’ve had so many e-mails, calls of support, offers of help and mostly thank-yous for raising awareness out about blood disorders such as Noah’s.”

Mrs Edwards, of Upton-upon-Severn, has now set her sights on turning Funny Blood, the campaign she set up to raise awareness and funds for research into blood conditions such as Noah’s, into a charity or charitable trust in the near future.

She needs to raise £5,000 to do this, and is hoping a fund-raising fun day and barbecue taking place at Clive’s Fruit Farm in Upton tomorrow will go a long way towards this.

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin will be attending and has donated a bottle of House of Commons whisky for a raffle.

Businesses are also backing the cause by pledging their support for a fund-raising auction.

Lots on offer so far include a day’s use of a sports car donated by Morgan Motors, a family ticket to a Worcester Warriors home match, limited edition bottles of Holywell Water and a tour of the bottling plant and a relaxing day for two at Malvern Spa.

The fun day will go ahead come rain or shine and starts at noon. Because of flooding around Upton, guests should travel via The Hook or Tunnel Hill.

Anyone looking to support Funny Blood can visit funnyblood.co.uk or find it on Twitter @FunnyBloodTweet and Facebook.