Rustington unites to help save tot’s hearing

But, in little more than two weeks, villagers have donated more than £2,000 to the hairdressers, in Sea Road, to help fund a life-changing operation to fit 21-month-old Evie Small with a state-of-the-art bionic ear.

And on Thursday (June 28) one caring woman donated the biggest single amount of cash to the plea – a cheque for an incredible £1,000 after reading a previous story about Evie in the Gazette.

“Our jaws hit the floor when she handed this over to us,” said manager Linda Ruffle. “We couldn’t believe it. It was absolutely incredible.

“Evie’s godfather, John, has been completely bowled over by the support from everyone in the village. It’s been so touching.”

Last month the Gazette reported the desperate race against time by the salon’s owner John Hudson, of Cove Road, Rustington, to save his god-daughter’s hearing.

Evie, who lives in Hampshire with her parents Emily and David, has no auditory nerves in her ears and faced a life without hearing, if she didn’t have an operation to correct the defect.

Because of her condition, traditional hearing aids would not have worked, and the window of opportunity to fit the bionic ear before Evie became too old for the procedure to be successful, was rapidly closing in.

In total, residents of Rustington have donated an impressive sum of £2,538.70p.

The money will go towards the £60,000 revolutionary operation in Italy, in which Evie will be fitted with an auditory brainstem implant.

Linda thanked Rustington businessman Peter Saywell for donating a super car ride around the Goodwood Motor Circuit as part of the salon’s raffle, local butcher Ian Burtenshaw for also providing prizes for the fund-raiser, as well as all the other charitable businesses, too.

“We wouldn’t have been so successful without everyone chipping in,” she said.