TWO Powys youngsters battling rare illnesses have received donations from a local Young Farmers Club.

Rhosgoch YFC’s tractor run, held on October 30, raised nearly £2,000, which the club is sharing equally between a Welsh agricultural charity and two people with ties to the local rural community.

Fundraising pages have been set up for courageous 5-year-old Joey Davies – who recently underwent major surgery at Great Ormand Street Hospital – and Molly Lloyd, who had emergency brain surgery earlier this year.

Joey’s Warrior Fund is raising money for Joey and his family as he faces his life-changing operation. Joey was born with dextrocardia with situs inversus – a condition characterised by abnormal positioning of the heart and other internal organs.

Essentially, it means the brave tot’s organs are on the opposite side of his body to where they are meant to be. He also has congenital scoliosis, as some of his vertebrae aren’t formed properly and some are missing. To make matters worse, before his operation earlier this month, it was discovered he also had two large intestines.

Molly’s Rehabilitation Fund is raising money for 22-year-old Molly, who 3 months ago was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for an emergency brain operation following an intracranial haemorrhage.

Molly, from Hay-on-Wye, suffered a further 2 setbacks but has now been transferred to a rehab centre in Cardiff to concentrate on her rehabilitation, which will take many months of hard work, effort and determination.

The DPJ Foundation is the third beneficiary of funds from the tractor run. The charity was set up in 2016 following the death of in Pembrokeshire farmer Daniel Picton-Jones, who committed suicide. His wife Emma launched the charity and, over the years, it has grown from strength to strength and now supports people working in the agricultural sector across Wales.

The tractor run took place on Sunday, October 30, with 79 participants encountering weather varying from torrential rain to bright autumnal sunshine.

Departing at 10.30am, the tractors headed to Newchurch, taking a left to Colva, and over to Glascwm and Cregina. Then the procession climbed over Rhulen Hill in a torrential rain storm, where the drivers of the open tractors cowered into their coat collars before dropping down into Painscastle and the shady hedge lined lanes, before taking the road over the Begwyn’s to Clyro.

Now crossing the River Wye in bright sunshine, the vehicles were watched by many into Hay-on-Wye, turning left, heading to Clifford before reaching the dinner stop at Hardwicke Church Hall and the mid-19th century Holy Trinity Hardwicke Church.

After refreshments, the raffle was drawn and the presentation of the John Haydn Meredith prize for the best turned out tractor was awarded to a brand-new Massey Ferguson for its innovation. Turning out from the hall, the convoy headed to Dorstone before returning to Hay and crossing back over the River Wye to Clyro and returning to Rhosgoch.

A total of £1,800 was raised and has been split equally between the three causes, who will each receive £600.

To find out more about the fundraisers for Joey and Molly, and to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/joeys-warrior-fund or https://www.gofundme.com/f/mollys-rehabilitation-journey.