A father fundraising for his son's rare condition has teamed up with a city coffee shop owner.
Conor Cross has been on a mission to raise thousands of pounds for the charity supporting his one-year-old son, Reggie Cross, who has Denys-Drash syndrome.
At five months old, Reggie was diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder that affects the kidneys and the development of the genital and reproductive organs.
He will be waiting at least two years to receive a life-saving kidney transplant.
But after an unplanned visit to OP's coffee shop, the owner, Oliver Lee-Stevens, and Mr Cross joined forces to raise money for a kidney charity.
He said: “After completing the Norwich Half Marathon, I popped into OP’s.
“I had no idea the owner, Ollie, was a runner.
“We got talking, and he took an interest in Reggie.
“He really wanted a spot in the Cambridge Half Marathon, which I had signed up for.
“I contacted Kidney Care UK and asked them if it would be possible for Ollie to run and fundraise for them.
“He has been brilliant with raising awareness and has even put up flyers at the shop.
“Every Sunday, OP’s have a run club and I will often take Reggie along.
“Coffee and running brought us closer together."
Mr Cross said he wanted to do something out of his comfort zone to fundraise for Reggie.
Already £6,000 has been raised across his donation pages.
He said: “The special thing is our first conversation wasn’t planned.
"It felt meant to be.
“I had seen a video of OP's tiramisu cinnamon buns on social media and just decided to pop into the shop.
"My first half marathon for Kidney Care was in Chelmsford last year.
“They know Reggie’s story really well and have given me a space to run in the London Marathon too.”
Mr Cross has also set up a TikTok page to raise awareness about Reggie’s condition.
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