Anne Read whose son Chris is in Thailand helping tsunami victims Picture Ref: 77058-16A SWINDON mum has vowed to continue funding her son's charity mission in Thailand in spite of running up credit card debts.

Anne Read, 57, has so far spent £3,000 on her son Chris Berry's trip to the tsunami-hit Phi Phi island.

The 28-year-old labourer who has an eight-year-old son, Joshua, originally went to Thailand on holiday in December two days after the disaster struck and has been out there ever since after joining volunteers clearing debris and carrying out rebuilding work.

Anne, of Gorse Hill, who works for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in North Star and lives with husband Brian, a business analyst, said: "Chris had been looking forward to the holiday for months and had been living like a hermit so he could save money for it.

"He went out there the day after the tsunami.

"At first we were worried but he said the only way the country would get back to normal would be if tourists went there.

"When he got there he saw the scale of the devastation and decided to stay on to help after his friend had returned home.

"He called me and said 'mum what do you think I'd like to stay and help'. I thought about it and thought about how much it would cost but decided we'd just sort it out later.

"I thought at that point that he'd only be going for a few weeks."

She has been in regular contact with Chris via email and says she has nothing but admiration for what he is doing.

He has used his construction skills to teach volunteers working on building sites and dives everyday to clear debris from the coral.

Recently he and a team of other volunteers discovered the body of a young girl who had been crushed between a roof and a washing machine that had been thrown into the sea by the force of the storm.

Anne said: "I am so proud of my son. I know he will never be the same person.

"Finding that body had a big effect on him. But it means that some poor family will be able to grieve now they have found out what happened to her.

"I feel that Chris feels a strong sense of duty and he has found that he is valued.

"I know that his experiences will make him a real man."

But she admits that financing his work is not easy.

"I will probably not be able to retire as soon as I wanted to as my debts are growing helping him stay there.

"I've been borrowing money on credit cards.

"My husband and I won't be able to go on a foreign holiday this year because of the money. But I think it's well worth it."

Diana Milne