£5,000 boost for tragic Leeds Utd star Billy Sharp’s fund

The Luey Jacob Sharp (LJS) Foundation secured the donation from The Liz And Terry Bramall Charitable Trust, a grant-giving charity supporting projects across Yorkshire.

Billy and his wife Jade Fair established The LJS Foundation in 2007 after their two-day-old son died as a result of gastroschisis.

The charity aims to raise £60,000 to fund research into this birth defect, which causes a baby’s intestines to grow on the outside of the body.

The Foundation recently partnered with children’s medical research charity Sparks to establish the Gastroschisis Research Fund and is currently inviting researchers to apply for grants.

Billy said: “This donation is a massive leap towards our £60,000 target. The fund will then support one of the applications, which are currently being reviewed, in their research project.

“Research into gastroschisis is something very close to my heart. The pain of losing your child is almost unbearable.

“Our aim is to ensure no family has to endure what Jade and I have. With the continued help and support from so many, we’re confident we’ll be able to do just that.”