The family of a Staffordshire teen who suffers from a rare terminal muscle wasting condition have appealed to the public to send him cards for his 16th birthday.
15-year-old Luke Hesketh lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Despite being one of the most common types of Muscular Dystrophy – usually affecting boys in early childhood, with about 100 born with the condition each year and around 2,500 people living with it in the UK at any one time – it is one of the most severe forms, and people with the condition will sadly usually only live into their 20s or 30s.
Luke is currently in hospital at the moment, and his family have recently received the shattering news that his heart is failing and no further medication will help.
The hospital are therefore keeping him comfortable and pain free.
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But with it being Luke’s 16th birthday tomorrow, his mum, Tracey Hesketh, has appealed to members of the public to send him a birthday cards in an attempt to make his birthday as special as it can possibly be, and one the whole family will never forget.
After hearing the devastating news, friends of the Hesketh family have also since set up a GoFundMe page in Luke’s name that is dedicated to helping him make the most of the time he has left.
The funds raised will also go towards helping Luke tick off the activities on his bucket list.
The description on the fundraiser reads: “[Luke] has written a bucket list and his family really want to try and grant his wishes, [so] your help to do this would be greatly appreciated.
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“At a time when the future seems so uncertain and frightening for the family, let’s give them some moments to smile about [and] every single donation, no matter how big or small, will go towards giving Luke and his family the chance to make precious memories”.
Luke’s bucket list activities include a trip to Legoland Windsor, a stay on the London River boat, a visit to the lwgo shop in London, a holiday to Benidorm, a ride in a helicopter, and more.
If you would like to send Luke a card to make his 16th birthday a special one to remember, then you can send it the following address:
Luke Hesketh, 8 The Doves, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 6RB.
You can also find out more about Luke’s battle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) via the GoFundMe page set up to help the Hesketh family here.
All donations are greatly appreciated.
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2021 
