Harry Jackson: Community rallies for one-year-old stranded abroad with 'twisted' intestine

A community is rallying behind sick St Neots one-year-old Harry Jackson, as ITV News Anglia's Matthew Hudson reports

A fundraising campaign for a one-year-old boy who is fighting for his life in a coma in Crete has topped the £20,000 mark.

Harry Jackson, from St Neots, was rushed to hospital after he became seriously ill during his family's trip. During surgery, doctors discovered Harry's small intestine had twisted the wrong way round, which had sent him into septic shock.

Harry underwent emergency surgery as medics rushed to stop his organs failing, and doctors originally gave the little boy only a 20% chance of survival.

But Harry battled through, with the football community - led by Potton United, where Gary is the assistant manager - and locals from Cambridgeshire to Bedfordshire cheering him and his family on.

Around £20,000 has already been raised to help the family with their bills.

However he is expected to remain in hospital abroad for months, where his parents are only able to see him for a few minutes every four days because of the risk of infection.

A friend of the family, who started the GoFundMe campaign with an original £5,000 target, said any donations would be used to help pay for accommodation, the couple's mortgage and other costs.

The local football community has played a big part in helping Harry's parents, Gary and Annie, stay by his side.

The campaign was highlighted by Gary's Bedfordshire club Potton United, which is rallying support for the family from the football community.

Family friend Gareth Davies, who started the GoFundMe campaign, updated well-wishers on Harry's condition on Saturday after he was rushed back into theatre.

The toddler's temperature had failed to lower, leading to the discovery the sepsis in his intestine had not yet cleared. But the youngster was making good progress with his recovery, Mr Davies told ITV News Anglia on Wednesday.

He said: "I had a message from Gary this morning and Harry is stable. His temperature has come down which is great news.

• Watch Harry’s godfather Mark Gearing thank well-wishers for their support:

"That was always going to be a little bit of a worry. But the temperature has dropped, he's stable, it's a waiting game now.

"He's still on a ventilator, helping his little lungs breathe so we'll just have to wait until Friday when the surgeons will know a little bit more."

Kate Gosnold, from Lucy Jane’s bakery, is among the local businesses raising money and collecting toys for Harry to support his parents.

She said: "It must be so isolating and they're having to find the strength from within. So we're just doing what we can from afar and sending it across to them."

Harry's parents are concentrating on their son's condition and have been updating his supporters through friends at home.

But they told ITV Anglia they had been overwhelmed by people's help and support and planned to thank people when they returned home with their son.

• You can find the family's fundraising page here.