Saskatchewan artist fundraising to help family whose son has genetic disease

Artist raises money for boy with medical condition WATCH: An artist from Regina is raising money for a family whose son was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition. Angela Stewart reports.

A Regina based artist is using his platform to fundraise in hope of helping a young boy with a genetic disease and his family.

After being contacted by Anna Laidlaw, who happens to be his old high school friend, Andrew Salgado jumped at the opportunity to help her and her family out.

"We were like buddies. I only did a semester at Campbell before moving to a different high school but that's where we met. I think there was sort of like that kindred nature in each of us and clung to her,” Salgado explained.

Salgado, who now lives in the United Kingdom, is raffling off some of his original artwork to help out Laidlaw’s son.

"I just thought that if we can raise some money, I have a platform, use it for good, let's try to do it,” Salgado said. “I think anyone with a heart can’t help but if you actually listen and read and understand what happening with her son Jack, I think you have to be a real cold person not to have an immediate response to that."

Laidlaw’s seven-year-old son Jack was diagnosed with a rare disease called Spastic Paraplegia type 4 (SPG4).

"We finally got results in December 2023, so last year right before Christmas and, you know, we had never heard of it before,” said Laidlaw.

The neurons in Jack’s brain and spinal cord are degrading, which means he will be paralyzed over time.

There is no cure as of yet, but researchers are apparently working on one in the U.S, according to Laidlaw.

"With rare disease research like this, it requires funding to reach human clinical trials. If they don't have the funding, they can't progress with this research,” she said.

The research costs $3 million. The family is holding their own fundraiser and the money from Salgado’s raffle will also go towards funding for this research.

Laidlaw said she will not stop fundraising and is determined to fund the research to help slow down the progression of Jack’s disease.

"This cure is giving us hope. The other option is to watch him slowly become paralyzed and that's not an option for us,” she said.

The family also has a GoFundMe page up for anyone looking to donate.

More information on how to enter Salgado’s raffle can be found on his social media pages.