Everton stadium lit up in rainbow colours to honour baby with rare condition

Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium was illuminated in rainbow colours before the Manchester United match to honour eight-month-old Rupert and to highlight Rupert's Rainbow, a fundraiser raising awareness of his rare condition, alternating hemiplegia of childhood.

Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock was lit in rainbow colours ahead of Monday night's Premier League match with Manchester United. The lighting took place in the hour before kick-off and was presented as a gesture linked to a family fundraising and awareness campaign. The display honoured an eight-month-old boy named Rupert, who has been diagnosed with alternating hemiplegia of childhood. His father, Dave, set up the Rupert's Rainbow campaign and is reported to be a lifelong Evertonian. Key facts: - The Hill Dickinson Stadium was illuminated in rainbow colours between 18:00 and 19:00 GMT ahead of the match. - Rupert is eight months old and has been diagnosed with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), a rare neurological condition reported to affect about one in a million people. - Rupert's Rainbow is a fundraiser and awareness campaign set up by his father, Dave, who is described as a lifelong Evertonian. - Dave has set a fundraising aim of £1.5m for "hope, research and a cure" and said there are clinical trials underway in the United States. - Dave described the club's gesture as "incredible" and said it was touching for his childhood club to help elevate awareness of AHC. Summary: The lighting gave public visibility to the Rupert's Rainbow campaign and its £1.5m fundraising goal, and Dave described the club's action as an "incredible" show of support. Undetermined at this time.