AN APPEAL to raise money for a disabled boy’s operation in the US has received a £35,000 boost, after comedians including Frankie Boyle donated their talents free of charge.

Torfaen mum Jessica Hope, of Garndiffaith, has launched the Lincoln’s Leg’s appeal to help raise £100,000 for her son, Lincoln, who has cerebral palsy. The five-year-old’s proposed operation, a spinal dorsal rhizotomy, would be followed by physiotherapy. Without it, he could spend his entire life in a wheelchair.

On Saturday night, comedians Frankie Boyle, Francesca Martinez and Tiernan Douieb performed to a near sell-out crowd of 1,500 at St David’s Hall in Cardiff for a ticketed fundraising event. Mrs Hope praised the kind-hearted comedian after he drove from Glasgow especially for the event.

“I spoke to Francesca on Twitter to see if she would retweet the appeal and she said she is friends with Frankie and would see if he could help,” said Mrs Hope.

“I added him as a friend on Facebook and he got back straight away and asked me to find some dates and a venue and he would see what he could do. It was really good of him, especially as he drove all the way from Glasgow for the event.”

Before the event, Mrs Hope, her husband, Richard, and Lincoln got to meet the comedians backstage. The night was made even more special for Lincoln as he went on stage before the show to sing a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and tell a joke.

Around £35,0000 was raised with venue costs still to be calculated, which will take the total past the £50,000 required to pay for the operation, scheduled to take place in April at a children’s hospital in St Louis. Further money raised will be used for the required physiotherapy.

Boyle took to Twitter to voice his support for the appeal. He said: “Help if you can, and hopefully he can get his operation soon.” Support the appeal at bit.ly/2qryhgS.