WHEN Arsenal fan Peter Cordara, turns 18 at the end of this month his parents will be throwing him the usual celebratory party, complete with bar, buffet, a DJ and a karaoke machine.
But it will be no ordinary birthday party. For Guido and Denise Cordara, from Kingsford Street, Kentish Town, the day will be much more than a celebration of their son’s coming of age. In September 2001, Peter, a chronic asthmatic and former William Ellis pupil, was given just seven days to live after a devastating attack that left him severely brain damaged.
Nearly four years on, Peter, though wheelchair-bound and in need of 24-hour-care, has stabilised enough for him to have spent the last eight months at home.
His mother Denise said: “Not many people survive this kind of injury but he has, through the love and support of his family.”
The family has decided to combine Peter’s birthday with an open fund-raising event at the Godwin and Crowndale Community Hall in Crowndale Road on June 4.
Tickets costing £20 are available from the Cordara family with all the money raised going towards specialist sensory equipment and therapies that will help improve Peter’s quality of life. For information call 020 7284 1738.