'We're doing it to keep Ricky's name alive': Leeds mum nears £50k charity target after son's tragic death

-> West Yorkshire teen born with clubfoot achieves dreams to become black beltAnne Cameron, who lives in Wingate, lost her son Ricky Nugent 10 years ago just days before his 17th birthday.

Ricky suffered a brain haemorrhage while playing rugby and despite efforts to save him, he never regained consciousness.

Anne has raised £38,000 since she began fundraising 10 years ago, but wants to reach a £50,000 target by the end of the year.

On Sunday, September 8 Anne will host a charity fundraiser at West Leeds RUFC, on Bluehill Lane, in memory of Rick y.

There will be a raffle, a booze tombola, bouncy castles, face painting and even real Blackpool donkeys.

All proceeds will be donated to the Neurological ICU ward at LGI, where Ricky was cared for in his final hours.

The West Leeds rugby club was the first place that Ricky ever trained and is just a stone’s throw away from the estate that he grew up in.

Anne, who is 65 and semi-retired, said: “The planning for the fundraiser is going so well - nobody has let us down.

“It’s absolutely amazing and keeps Ricky’s name going.

“I can just imagine him up their with a big grin on his face, because he was such a lovely lad.

“He was so confident and would chat to anyone, so I can just picture him a bit embarrassed about the fundraising, but loving it at the same time.

“We’re doing it to keep Ricky’s name alive.”

One of the prizes for the fundraiser is a £500 holiday at Primrose Valley near Filey, donated by Haven.

Ricky loved his holidays there as a child, where he would visit with Anne and her husband, Ricky’s step-dad Alistair.

Anne said: “Ricky absolutely loved it down there, he would run onto the beach with all his friends.

“After he died, I decided to scatter his ashes there as it’s the place he loved most when he was a little kid.

“We built a memorial bench for Ricky there and we visit every single month to take flowers and light candles.

“We haven’t missed a month since he died.”

Remembering Ricky

Anne still has Ricky’s voice as her answerphone message and says she laughs when it throws people off.

She said: “His voice answers with a ‘hello’ and people think my husband Alistair has picked up the phone.

“Ricky was a joker and so fun, he’s still getting people 10 years later!

“He never caused us a minute’s problem, he was so good.”

Anne says her two daughters - Linsey, aged 43, and Kelly, aged 39 - are still devastated by the death of their little brother.

She said: “Linsey still gets choked up and can’t talk about it.

“It’s really hard - I have moved on, but Ricky hasn’t and that’s what is so hard.

“I see his friends and a lot of them have kids and relationships, while I can’t think of Ricky any way other than him being 16.”

Anne says she is overwhelmed by the support for the charity fundraiser and she hopes as many people will turn up as possible.