VIDEO: Leighton lights up for brave little Roman

Robert and Lydia Kent, of 22 Raven Way, Leighton Buzzard, switched on over 3,000 Christmas lights outside their house on December 1 to help support Roman James, five, who has type C Niemann-Pick disease, a fatal condition known as childhood Alzheimer’s.

Roman and his family, of Cheddington, came to see the dazzling display, while residents of LBO land turned out to help raise funds towards a wheelchair friendly garden for Roman.

Robert said: “It was a really good turn out and all the lights worked - Roman loved them!

“Thank you to everyone who turned up - we’ve now raised over £500 for charity and we’re still collecting until December 31.”

Parents Ben James and Scarlet Rojek-Smith, were given the devastating news in October 2014 that son Roman had type C Niemann-Pick disease.

After enjoying a normal babyhood, Roman has fast deteriorated, with the condition seeing him left completely immobile, tube-fed, and suffering from seizures.

Roman also has a younger brother called Gabriel, and family and friends hope to raise £2,500 for the Team Roman “Garden Project”, which started this summer.

Mum, Scarlet, said: “The switch on was truly magical and Roman loved it. The evening took it out of him but it was so worth it!”

Robert is also running the ‘mistletoe selfie challenge’, whereby locals can take a selfie under his lit archway and pop a donation through his letterbox (via the envelopes provided) or donate via: https://www.gofundme.com/roman-james-niemannpick-disease

To find out more about the mistletoe challenge, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/lydia.kent.5/posts/10154877688413783