THANK you for ALL your kind comments. I have spent another afternoon thanking individual donors. I shall repeat tomorrow. Wishing you a very pleasant Friday evening.

Preston Davey, another baby P.
McVitie's Marketing White Chocolate HobNobs?
GNHQ have commented on this thread. Read here.
Hello, I wonder if any one is suffering with this ailment. I am eighty. Have been treated at a variety of hospitals over a period of ten years. First surgery carried out in 2003. Am between a rock and a hard place. Can have a colostomy at a private BMI hospital for £25,000, or wait indefinitely on the NHS waiting list with no date for the foreseeable. Every day is a challenge. I appreciate that there are countless people far worse off than I am. I would however be most grateful of any first hand information that can help me to manage this dire situation. Thank you.
THANK you for ALL your kind comments. I have spent another afternoon thanking individual donors. I shall repeat tomorrow. Wishing you a very pleasant Friday evening.

Another suggestion…. has Mr soop asked Family members who are of working age to approach the Companies they work for? Many private Companies are happy to donate to charitable causes.
Likewise Golf Clubs, Football, Rugby, Swimming and Tennis Clubs locally - they pick a charitable cause to focus on and help, and have the power of a high membership to raise funds.
Good Luck soop. It’s going so well ?
I have shared on Facebook and Twitter. Bit of a long shot, but any donations welcome.
If local media spread the word it can only help towards reaching the necessary target in a shorter time.
I hope you both decide to let them help.
I have seen similar Medical Fundraisers, where the appeal is also shared by way of an article in the local newspaper, and also on the local Facebook groups. People are often very willing to support especially when it is a local person.
There may be people near you, who would hate to think of you in this awful situation, and would be glad to help, given the opportunity. Please Soop I hope you will allow the local media to be involved. Best wishes.
Soop
I hope it won't be long til the whole amount is reached.
Stay strong Soop. Crippling pain is so debilitating. Pity there isn’t a way to inflict five minutes of it on the people creating your difficulties.
I am, hopefully, in the process of getting my gall stones sorted. I tried phoning the surgery for an hour. Constantly engaged. Tried 111 and eventually got an answer after numerous redials.
Answered loads of seemingly irrelevant questions and was then told an ambulance would be sent out. Seemed like overkill to me and a bit embarrassing but I was admitted and had various scans and blood tests etc etc and now have answers to the problem and hopefully a solution in the new year. I must admit I feel like a pin cushion!
Wow,£2000 , I expect the small amounts some of are sending are just as welcome but that is generous on a super scale.
Best wishes to the donor.
I am so happy for you soop
I agree with go for it Soop. Every little will help to reach the target. You are such a special person to many Soop x
We are both in tears. Tears of pure joy and gratitude. This is a very special day. I am happy to share with you as you have all played a role in the "Happy Christmas" venture. You are such special people.
Brilliant how it's shot up in such a short time!
£8610!! Now over 50% funded, this is wonderful. How lovely to see people coming together to help like this ❤️
Go for it, Soop The wider you send the publicity, the more it will be seen and the more people will be able to help. Do it now, strike when the iron is hot - the media won't be interested in you once some other "human interest story" appears.
If it's worth your while go for it. The wider the appeal goes the better.
Now is not a time for unnecessary caution soop, being on Gransnet means the media has access to everything said.
As they’ve contacted you, the control is with you.
I can understand your husband’s caution Soop. I hope and pray for a good outcome for you.
I admire your sense of humour in the face of adversity! ?
Welcome, Grannynannywanny (love the name), we have had a message from someone in the media. Mr Soop is ultra cautious and wishes time in which to peruse and either approve, or not.
Surgeon is to phone me a week today. Perhaps, if I offer to have surgery under half the amount of anaesthetic required, he'll reduce the cost accordingly. Or not. 
Good morning everyone in Soop’s lovely kitchen. I’ve never popped in here before but read the thread often and peep in the window and think what a lovely lot you are here. Especially Soop who so deserves this fundraiser to go well.
I have a suggestion and feel free to ignore it. But I’m wondering if it would be worthwhile posting the story and GFM link on the social media accounts of several wealthy celebrities and hope for a reaction. I’m not tech savvy enough to do it and I’m not on Twitter or Facebook.
Maybe even some Scottish ones eg JK Rowling or Alan Cummings. I’ve been watching him recently on a travel programme and he seems a lovely man and proud of his roots although based in the US now.
If it’s ok with Soop then it might just be worth a try and help in that final push.
Wishing you well Soop ?
£6,550 just now!?
I could not sleep soundly last night. Why? I needed to catch up with further kind "Happy Christmas" stuff and the computer had gone into sleep-don't-wake-me-up-mode, making me somewhat miffed.
I awoke at 6:30. A ridiculous time of day for this little old lady. My thank yous are up to date. I guess that there are many lovely Gransnetters whose real names I do not recognise. It can be confusing. Eldest grandson has shared with his many friends and therefore, I am thanking people whom I've never met or will ever get to know. I NEED to keep on top of things. Kindness deserves recognition.
As I am clad in pj's and fluffy, baggy dressing gown, I must wash and brush and prepare for the day ahead. My love is winging its way across the miles. I trust that you can sense it.
Until later.
Found it!
No O'Briens as far as I know.
Elegran
Calistemon your ancestor (or one of his forebears) must have been a big lad to acquire that name. Were any of them called O'Brien? Brian Boru was a famous Irish hero and giant, and the Sons of Brian still produce a high proportion of larger-than-average men (Dara O'Brien for instance.) It is interesting that a rare gene has been identified in some of them which can lead to bones continuing to grow and cause gigantism, and sometimes in problems. There is another family somewhere in Eastern Europe who have the same gene - and the same tall men.
Elegran someone else had done the research. Normally I might be sceptical but her research was very meticulous and I haven't gone further back.
This was the 1500s, I think the genes might have been diluted by now, although DS is quite tall ?
Is there a set date that the key amount has to be raised by? There's still quite a shortfall. Has anyone got any contacts they could shamelessly tap?
Soop are there any local grants you could apply for? Sometimes there are odd old funds that have been around for many years having been set up in previous centuries. There used to be a central repository of them in Edinburgh but it's years since I went through their files.
Calistemon your ancestor (or one of his forebears) must have been a big lad to acquire that name. Were any of them called O'Brien? Brian Boru was a famous Irish hero and giant, and the Sons of Brian still produce a high proportion of larger-than-average men (Dara O'Brien for instance.) It is interesting that a rare gene has been identified in some of them which can lead to bones continuing to grow and cause gigantism, and sometimes in problems. There is another family somewhere in Eastern Europe who have the same gene - and the same tall men.
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