TWO Pontypool College students are raising money for a Gambian boy to have a life-saving operation.

Casey Webb and Kayleigh Blake, both 19, met four-year-old Sunkary on a trip to Gambia in March this year.

Sunkary suffers from a rare condition called Hydrocephalus which has caused dramatic swelling of his head.

The pressure in his skull is so extensive that doctors say he will soon lose his sight.

The condition is normally treated at birth in the UK but the condition is now life threatening because Sunkary’s parents could not afford expensive medical treatment.

Miss Webb said: “He’s a lovely little boy but he can’t even hold his head up or walk.”

The week-long Gambia trip was organised by the girls’ Health and Social Care teacher, Leanne Johnson in partnership with Gambian charity the Glove Project.

Before the trip students raised £2,700 in sponsorship money and delivered 23 suitcases of charity supplies.

Miss Blake said: “We raised money for the Glove Project and took out medication and equipment and when we was out there we went around nursery schools and went to the village where we met Sunkary.”

Now, working with the Gambian Glove Project, the girls have found Dr Jayamohan and Dr Lawrence Tyler of the Ratcliffe Hospital in Oxford who have offered to do the operation for free - but the girls still need to raise the £700 to fly him and his father to the UK and back to Gambia.

In total £10,000 needs to be raised by the Glove Project for Sunkary’s long-term aftercare.

For now the students are just hoping they can raise the air fare.

Miss Webb said: “If he doesn’t have the operation he will die.

Funder of the Glove Project, Jackie Church explained that the condition isn’t understood in Gambia.

“In the African culture, to have a child like this is a very big shame, the child is thought to be ‘illed with the demon spirits’,” she added.

Miss Blake said: “So far we’ve raised £250 so we’ve got a long way to go.”

The girls have organised a car boot sale, cake sale and even a sponsored walk across the old Severn Bridge.

But now they need your help. To donate to the appeal contact Leanne Johnson at Pontypool College on 01495 333 100 or email Leanne.Johnson@coleggwent.ac.uk