Anonymous donor gives £20k to carer for electricity bills to keep disabled boy, 9, alive

Watch: Carer says that 'without electricity, my little boy will die'

An anonymous donor has given £20,000 to cover the electricity bills that help keep a severely disabled nine-year-old boy alive.

Isaac Blake suffers from Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome, a rare brain development disorder that means he requires care 24 hours a day and specialist equipment. He weighs just 11kg.

His carer, Maxine Rothchester, who has looked after him since he was eight months old, says rising fuel bills amid a cost of living crisis have put Isaac's life in danger.

"Without the electricity, Isaac would die," she told Sky News. "That's no exaggeration. So I have to pay, no matter what the cost."

On Monday, an anonymous person donated £20,000 to a GoFundMe page set up by Ms Rothchester.

In June, another anonymous donor pledged £17,000.

Donations have been pouring in on Monday and more than £39,000 has been raised to help pay for Isaac's care.

Read more: How does the UK's cost of living support compare to major European countries?

Last week, market researchers forecast that the average annual UK energy bill could rise to more than £4,200 by next January.

"I, like a lot of parents with children who need this equipment, am terrified," said Ms Rothchester.

"The equipment that we need is not a choice - it's life for Isaac.

"He has a lift to get upstairs, we have a bath that goes up and down, we have a profiling bed, he's on oxygen 24/7 - that's run by a machine. Every aspect of his life is controlled by electricity."

Ms Rothchester is Isaac's full-time carer and cannot work elsewhere to bring in more income. She relies on Universal Credit and NHS help.

She said she has noticed her weekly electricity bills have already increased by £30.

"Yes, we do get disability living allowance, but that's supposed to be there to cover things for Isaac like play equipment. It's not meant to pay the household bills, which is what it'll end up going on.

"I cannot think of any other way to save money. I'll just have to pay it. I'll just have to find it somehow. Probably cut back on my own food.

"I'm not asking for much, I'm just asking for help with power to keep my little boy alive."

Later this month, energy regulator Ofgem will announce the latest price cap for energy bills, which will take effect from the beginning of October.

A government grant of £400 for every household in the UK will begin to roll out at the same time.

Market researchers Cornwall Insight have forecast that average energy bills will reach more than £4,200 a year for a typical household by January.