Student raises £6,600 for homeless man to help him recover from surgery
Anna Loudon, a student in Dundee, has raised more than £6,600 to help pay for somewhere for a homeless man to recover from open-heart surgery.
She befriended Les Gordon after buying him a coffee as he sat outside a shop in Dundee. He was living on the streets, and told her he needed heart surgery, but had been putting it off, because he needed somewhere secure and comfortable to recover. Loudon was so moved by his situation that she started a crowdfunding page to help him rent a flat after his operation.
Loudon, who is from the US and is currently studying politics and history in Dundee, wrote on the gofundme.com page: "This adorable sweetheart of a man is Les. He is a native Dundonian who has become homeless through a serious of unfortunate events. He has been on the streets for at least 9 months and has endured harsh temperatures while sleeping rough. Unfortunately he has slipped through the cracks of the system."
She explained that she wanted to try to raise a deposit for a flat and at least a couple of months' rent, so he can finally have a roof over his head. She started the page 11 days ago and set a target of £3,500. Since then, more than £6,600 has been donated.
The page has received gifts from almost 350 people so far, and many have added their messages of support. Loudon wrote on the page: "I am so overwhelmed by the love you have all shown to us. I'm trying not to cry and I'm mostly failing at it." She added yesterday that Les was so happy at the rising total that he had been dancing in the street.
She is now looking at flats, and has found one available at the beginning of July. She wrote on her Facebook page that she was hoping something would fall into place before then, because a month is a long time to be living on the streets. She also filmed his reaction to the rising total.
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