Midlothian boy with skin condition grows money for Edinburgh hospital wards with sunflower sales

A teenage boy from Penicuik has raised more than £2,000 to pay for an ultraviolet vein finding machine for an Edinburgh hospital ward and to buy gifts for patients at the Sick Kids to play with.

St David’s High School pupil Arran McManus, 13, who suffers from the skin condition hydroa vacciniforme, has been running his mobile cosmetics shop ‘Arran’s Soap Box’ since the pandemic, selling homemade soaps, fizz jars, bath bombs, shower fizzers and more.

Through this little business of his, Arran has also recently been selling sunflowers he grew in a makeshift greenhouse at his home to raise enough money to supply a vein finding machine to the Western General Hospital, with his online fundraiser still open.

Teenager Arran from Penicuik with one of his sunflowers.

His mum Sabrina McManus explained where her son’s fundraising idea came from.

She said: “He has raised £2,010, which is incredible. It all started when our friend Craig, 52, was diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago and Arran overheard a conversation about it. Craig sadly passed away last month.

"When you get treatment for cancer the veins start to shut down and the body shuts down, so the doctors find it hard to administer medicine. There’s only one machine to help at Ward 8 in the Western General.

"It’s £1,600 to buy a vein finding machine, so Arran wanted to raise money to buy one for the hospital. He grew sunflowers and sold them to friends and the local community at £2 a pot.

Arran dropping of gifts at the Sick Kids, bought with the extra money he raised in his sunflower fundraiser.

"We set up a wee greenhouse in April for him to grow the sunflowers. We must have went through 20 packets of seeds, there was a lot of sunflowers.

"He also put on an auction in May where friends and family donated their time for things like massages and we got shop vouchers. He raised more than £300 from that.”

Arran, whose health condition means he is allergic to sunlight and has to cover up to avoid getting blisters on his skin, has also been raising money for one of the hospital wards he regularly attends. Arran also has multiple food allergies and suffers chronic pain.

Sabrina said: "He has done well, bless him, we are very proud of his efforts. He has a lot going on himself. He attends hospital at the Sick Kids and Ninewells in Dundee.

Sunflowers growing at Arran's home in Penicuik.

"When he smashed his target to buy the machine, rather than give all the money to the Western he decided to give the rest to the Sick Kids. They gave him a wish list of things for kids to play with in the ward he attends.

"He got everything on it, which he dropped off this week. He has been a busy boy. His fundraising efforts couldn’t have happened without the support of the local community, everybody has been so supportive and helpful. It’s been lovely.

"I just want to thank everybody that’s supported him.”

Arran regularly attends local events like gala days, setting up his stall and selling goods he produces himself, with his takings at the recent Penicuik Hunter and Lass festival also going to charity.

His mum Sabrina added: “He just likes to help people. He has grown up in hospitals and seen people suffering so he thinks of others and how he can help.”