Fundraising for Freddie

When our beautiful nephew Freddie was born on the 31st of October 2019, he was moved to the NICU shortly afterwards due to seizure like activity and his oxygen levels dropping, causing him to turn blue. He was sent for an MRI and cat scan, which is when we got the news that there was significant damage to the right hand side of his brain due to a neonatal stroke. His parents Aisling & Niall were told Freddie would more than likely be diagnosed with Hemeplegia Cerebal Palsy. Hemiplegia Cerebral Palsy affects motor control and movement on one side of your body, it can also affect speech, vision, hearing, feeding, behavioural problems and sleep.

Freddie was linked with the Early intervention team since he was 2 weeks old and it became increasingly evident that he ignored his left side. He is also linked with Enable Ireland, where he received Botox in his left arm in July 2021 to try and help with the stiffness of his left hand side.

From the moment he was born, Freddie has stolen all our hearts, he is the most beautiful precious little boy who we all absolutely adore. And with everything he has been through in his short life so far, he has done it all with the biggest smile on his face. He has amazed us all with his sheer determenation and the progress he has made so far has been inspirational. He is now a crazy 2 and a half year old, full of divilment, running wild around the house after his two big brothers Charlie & Archie.

Aisling & Niall have researched other therapies that they believe will benefit their little boy, that are not currently available in Ireland.

There are intensive physio Centres in the UK that provide individualised programmes for children to improve their upper extremity function, by placing their right arm in a cast, which forces them to use their left affected side through play and repitition.

We would like to send Freddie to take part in an intensive 3 week CIMT - (Constraint Induced Movement Therapy) programme in Manchester in August. The price of the therapies are are quite costly but the benefits for Freddie will be priceless. The therapy alone costs upwards of £5000, not including the cost of accomodation for 3 weeks and flights etc.

We will be hosting a number of fundraising events over the coming months in order to raise some money to help Aisling & Niall with the costs and any donation would be so greatly appreciated.

Starting with "Dip a Day for the Month of May" where Freddie's Auntie Ciara will be hopping into the sea/lake/river once a day for the month of May. Feel free to join in for moral support somewhere along the way!

Thanks so much,

Ciara, Orla & James ( Freddie's aunties & uncle )