A mum of four who has been on a mission to provide an assistance dog for her youngest son will be holding a Spring disco this May to aid in fundraising.

As previously reported, Emily Lowndes, from Kings Barton, has launched a JustGiving campaign to raise money for a four-legged friend to help her seven-year-old son Stefan.

Stefan, who has autism, struggles with going to new places and changes in routine which can lead to heightened anxiety and meltdowns.

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The Barton Farm Primary pupil didn’t speak or even make a noise outside the home setting until he was at school and his mum still describes him as a “situational mute”.

Mum Emily, 41, who works as a paediatric nurse at Shepherds Down, a special school in Compton, believes an assistance dog could pick up on Stefan’s anxiety and help boost his confidence levels.

Hampshire Chronicle: Stefan, who is seven and has autism, struggles going to new places and changes in routine which can lead to heightened anxiety and meltdownsStefan, who is seven and has autism, struggles going to new places and changes in routine which can lead to heightened anxiety and meltdowns (Image: Emily Lowndes)

Stefan's family will be holding a Spring disco on Saturday, May 11 to help raise funds for Stefan's autism support dog, with the disco taking place between 6pm and 9.30pm at Weeke Community Centre.

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The event will consist of free pizza, a raffle plus games and lots more.

Stefan's mother, Emily, said: "We are getting so close to our target and are really excited to be near our end goal. The discos have proved a great way for us to fundraise, so we are looking forward to another exciting evening where hopefully we can raise some much-needed funds for Stefan's autism assistance dog.

"The charity has been in touch recently regarding finding a 'match' for Stefan, which he is thrilled about. We are so grateful for all the support we have received and continue to receive from the local community - it means the world to us."

The family need to raise £12,000 for the Autism Dogs Charity. They are being supported by ‘The Bradley Lowery Foundation Trust’. For more information or to donate go to justgiving.com/campaign/supportforstefan.