A Lochaber schoolboy with Type 1 diabetes yesterday raised almost £450 for charity by organising a Type Onesie Day at his primary school.
Eight-year-old Aidan Young encouraged his fellow pupils and the teachers at Banavie Primary School, near Fort William, to wear onesies to school in exchange for a donation that will go to Diabetes UK.
His mother, Genna Mackay explained that Aidan had been very unwell before he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness with high blood sugar levels at the age of six.
She said: “They stabilised him at the hospital, then he had injections for a while, but he now as an insulin pump, which is much better.
“It was a real shock when he was diagnosed with diabetes as no one in the family has it, but it’s very stable now and he can do everything as normal.”
Mrs Mackay, 29, of Corpach, added that Aidan had come up with the idea for the fundraising event all by himself.
She said: “I’m very proud of him. He’s a wee star.”
Aidan, who is in Primary 4, said: “I just wanted to do something for diabetes.
“I called it Type Onesie Day because Type 1 and onesie sound the same so I thought it would be a good name.
“Everyone thinks it’s great because they can wear a onesie to school.”
He added that he intended to hold other fundraising events for the charity.
The school’s head teacher Maxean Dunham said most of the pupils and teachers at the 148-pupil school wore onesies to school yesterday.
She said: “I think it’s fantastic that Aidan put the whole event together and his mum has been really supportive.
“It’s good to get the publicity for diabetes and for the other children to understand that he has a pump and what he has to go through every day.”