Throughout the mid 70s, Blantyre community came together to help raise funds for Amanda Moore, a brave little girl with disabilities from an early age. Various organisations rallied and together with individual donations, it was hoped to raise money to send Amanda to America to explore ways that she could have a more normal and less debilitating life.
By March 1977, the fund stood at a whopping £3,493. A fundraising concert at Blantyre Miners Welfare at the start of that month was a great success raising £600 for the fund. Guest of honour was popular TV children’s entertainer, Glen Michael who signed and raised autographs.
In January 1978, this pretty little Blantyre girl went on one of the most important trips of her life. Local papers reported the story as follows:
“Following fundraising campaigns and hundreds of hours of special treatment, little Amanda Moore (4) is off to the USA. Amanda had been handicapped since being given a houping cough injection as a baby and will be going to the Institute of Human Potential in Philadelphia to find out if their course of treatment could help her live a more normal life.
The Moores were to leave their High Blantyre home in a white Rolls Royce, laid on by a local bridal company. Amanda’s mum, Mrs Elizabeth Moore of 4 Meadow Avenue, High Blantyre said, “I have been shaking with excitement all over the New Year, just waiting for this trip. We will know after our second day, if Amanda has been accepted for the full treatment. It’s going to be a hard slog, for the days we are out there, we start at 8am and will be going back to the hotel room at 1am. The Moores will be going out for 10 days and more than £5,000 was raised by friends and family for the special treatment.”
Interested to know more what happened to this lovely girl whose radiance beams out the picture, I searched for follow up stories and found this.
“The following week Amanda Moore WAS accepted for the treatment in America. The message was communicated by phone back to Blantyre. When home, Amanda embarked on a course of limb manipulation and continued her therapeutic activities. “
I’d wondered when writing this up what became of the Moore’s and how Amanda’s life had panned out. Sadly, I learned that this beautiful girl passed away. She was dearly loved and is missed by all who knew her. This little article is in her memory so others in Blantyre who did not know her, know what a beautiful and special girl she was and how she brought a whole community in times of economic despair, together.
