Pearce funds help family take charge

Flight Sergeant Face Linden (left) and Corporal Dominic Gallagher (right) have helped raise $12,000 for Ashleigh Watson (pictured with mum Lisa), who will travel to America. Photo by CPL Gary Dixon.

By FLGOFF Harriet Pointon

Fundraising efforts by Flight Sergeant Face Linden and Corporal Dominic “DJ” Gallagher, of the Ground Defence Section at RAAF Base Pearce, have raised an amazing $12,000 for toddler Ashleigh Watson.

Ashleigh, daughter of Pearce Transfield employee Tony Watson, is only two-a-half years old but has spent the first 15 months of her life in hospital and has had 10 major operations.

She suffers from CHARGE Syndrome, which affects only 85 children in Australia and is a condition which includes a group of health problems such as loss of vision, hearing loss, genital defects, heart problems and general development issues.

Ashleigh and her family will head off to America to attend an important international conference on CHARGE Syndrome and to pick up a new feeding machine for Ashleigh, who is feed through a gastric tube in her stomach.

The $12,000 raised at Pearce by the Ground Defence Section goes a long way to funding this important trip for the family.

FSGT Linden has been supported in his fundraising efforts by businesses and sporting groups such as the Eagles and Kangaroos AFL teams, the Perth Glory Soccer team, Kmart Racing and Dick Johnston Racing.

The Sergeants’, Officers’ and Airmen’s Messes have contributed $500 each to the worthy cause and a tin rattle around the base raised $1000 in just over an hour.

No. 79 Squadron supported the event by donating a simulator ride for the raffle and social clubs around the base made generous contributions as well.

No. 130 Squadron of the Republic of Singapore Air Force contributed $2788.

“Support has been overwhelming,” FSGT Linden said.

“It’s great the base community has come together to support the Watson family. Tony is our colleague and we were certainly going to do all we could to help him and his family.

“The result is something the RAAF Base Pearce team can be very proud of.”

Tony, his wife Lisa, Ashleigh and her sister Stephanie head off to America towards the end of this month. They will bring back a wealth of information that can be shared with other families in Australia affected by CHARGE Syndrome.
Anyone interested in contributing to the appeal should contact FSGT Linden on (08) 9571 7610.

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