Updated on Sep 19th 2012 at 8:39 AM from the JustGiving API

Huge thankyou to Michelle and Nat for your very kind donations for our wedding/boys christening x x x

Updated on Jul 3rd 2012 at 11:30 PM from the JustGiving API

I type this with just £74.50 to raise before Keagan hits his #GoldenMilestone of £2,000 - Thanku 2 every1 x

Thanks for taking the time to visit Keagan's JustGiving page.

Keagan s raising funds for The John McNeill Opportunity Centre - The Centre is a Pre-School for disabled, special needs, sick and terminally ill children. The Centre provides a full care plan for the children with IEP's and Key Workers and also provides a lifeline to the families.

Many parents say that without the Centre, they would be stuck indoors and probably not speaking to people for days or even on end. They have a comfortable parents room where they can talk to other parents and carers and have coffee and toast during the morning sessions.

The manager, Angela Bryant and all the staff are always on hand for help, support and advice for the parents and carers.

Please read Keagans brave story, he has so much to thank the Centre for

Keagans-Challenge - TEXT: KCJM74 £1, £2, £3, £4, £5, £10 (or however much you would feel able to sponsor) to 70070 to donate to the John McNeill Opportunity Centre.

Or to donate by bank/card or PayPal, please click on the donate button

PLEASE HELP TO SUPPORT KEAGAN'S DREAM THANKYOU

Please read Keagan's brave story....

Since originally writing this page, Keagan has now sadly also been diagnosed with Narcolepsy, a rare condition which causes his extreme lethargy and sleepiness. Please read his story and support him to help such a special charity that did so much for him and his little brother.

Keagan is a happy and such loving 8 year old boy. The smile on his face hides the courage he has had to show during the past year.

When Keagan was a baby, we knew he wasn't the same as his older sisters. Something just seemed 'different'. He was slower to reach milestones and was not talking.
At 3 years old he was diagnosed with Dyspraxia, now known as Developmental Coordination Disorder. He has joint hypermobility, lax ligaments and hypersomnia,(Now diagnosed as Narcolepsy), he was also fitted with hearing aids for his bilateral hearing loss. Keagan seemed to tire very quickly and needed far more daytime sleep than my previous 3 daughters.
His health was gradually declining with his fatigue becoming more and more of a problem and affecting his every day life. Once he started at school he would come home and sleep for hours.

His paediatrician decided to carry out a routine brain scan to rule out a tumour in January 2011, just a month before his 7th birthday. The results came back the following week showing that Keagan was suffering with Hydrocephalus - Life threatening water on the brain. The additional fluid was putting pressure on our little boys brain and had bowed the floor of the 3rd ventricle. We were referred to the Neurosurgery team at Southampton Hospital.

After seeing the Neurosurgeon, Keagan had to go into hospital to have an ICP (Intra Cranial Pressure Monitor) put into his brain to measure the fluid pressure. The results of this showed that Keagan had significant raised pressure in his brain when he was asleep/laying down. It was decided that Keagan urgently needed to have a VP Shunt fitted to drain the excess fluid into his tummy.

The ICP bolt was removed from his head whilst Keagan was awake ..and breathing on gas&air. The bolt was unscrewed from his skull and the spike/probe gently pulled out of his brain. He didn't complain at all, he just said the gas&air was "cool".

The following week the VP Shunt was fitted. Nothing can prepare you for your child going down to theatre for brain surgery or for coming out of theatre with a horseshoe incision on the back of their head and something noticeably burrowed into their skull. In typical Keagan fashion, just 3hrs later he was sat up playing on the PlayStation and having the nurses waiting on him hand, foot and finger! (Should we really have expected anything less?)

Keagan still suffers with extreme sleepyness. He takes stimulant medication and has regular naps at school and is supported 1:1 - Despite this, Keagan is not always able to maintain a full week at school.

Keagan now has a goal to raise £2,000 for the Pre-School that he attended - The John McNeill Opportunity Centre who worked so hard with him in his early years and helped to form the amazing little boy that he is today:-

What is so special about The John McNeill Opportunity Centre?...

The Centre is a specialist Pre-School for children with disabilities and special needs. It has been a part of the community for over 34years. Helping to build a sound foundation for all children with additional needs from Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset.

Last year the Centre lost a lot of funding when the Government introduced cut backs nationwide. The need for fundraising has never been greater.
Every child who attends the setting has their own IEP (individual education plan) and has a keyworker who supports them to work through their targets.

The Centre gives every child the right to inclusion and integration regardless of disability or special needs.
By fundraising it helps enable the Centre to continue to provide the high standard of care with the children and a support network that is vital for the parents and carers.

Keagan attended the pre-school from 2006—2008. Whilst he was there he was taught to use Makaton sign language which opened up to him a world of communication when he could not speak.
Whilst there he had regular support from a language teacher, OT, physios and was taken each week to the local RDA as horse riding worked fantastic with his coordination difficulties. When he left the centre when he started school, he was able to communicate with his voice. He has needed ongoing speech&language support but without the hard work that the staff put in at the John McNeill Opportunity Centre - I dont think he would be communicating as well as he is today.

Despite having low stamina, Keagan will be taking part in our Charity Golf Tournament this year on the 29th of June at the Rushmore Park Golf Club. He will be sponsored to take part in the tournament. We are hoping with using a golf buggy, he will be able to manage 9 of the 18holes with rest breaks in between.
He is so proud to be a part of the day and help to raise money for such a special charity. He has been having golf lessons for only 4 months and already seems to be a natural.

Charity Day Website- www.rushmoremcneillcharityday.co.uk This years Tournament has now taken place - A fantastic day enjoyed by everyone

UPDATE: 10/03/2012Due to Keagan's current exhaustion levels, it has been decided during a meeting at the Golf Club that Keagan would benefit from doing his sponsored 9 holes in the competition the day before on the 28/06/12 - He can then go around the course much slower, His Coach will be monitoring his wellbeing as well as us (mummy and daddy) Rushmore Park Golf Club will donate a golf buggy for him to use. We will take a pillow around with him and he will be able to have his 2-3 10min nap times in the buggy. This way, there will be no pressure on Keagan and it will be easier to monitor his wellbeing.

We are so very proud of him and hope that you can all get behind him and support our special brave little man.

If you feel you could support Keagan to reach his target, please text 70070 and start your text with KCJM74 and then add £1 £2 £3 £4 £5 £10 etc.. to support Keagan and help him reach his £2,000 goal to say a huge Thank-you to the Charity that did so much for him.

You can also donate via your pc, just click on the Donate now link - every donation puts a huge smile on his face and helps him edge closer to his massive goal - Please help him to achieve
Thank-you xxx

Thankyou so much for reading his story :)

He can do this because of special support from you all.

NEWS!!!!

KEAGAN COMPLETED HIS COURAGEOUS 9 HOLE TEE-OFF CHALLENGE IN 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES -

At times on the course we were unsure if he would make it - We gave him 3 nap times and drove him in the golf buggy each time he hit the ball.... By the 7th hole, Keagan became very weak and shaky - We offered him to stop - But Keagan being Keagan wouldnt hear of it and he pushed on through the pain. The elation we felt as the ball went into the final hole was just out of this world - A very emotional mummy and daddy

We will be putting on future fundraising events - Please continue to support Keagan in whatever way you can - He always said he wanted to raise - "TWO-HUNDRED-THOUSAND-MILLION-POUNDS" - Who are we to argue :)

Please dig deep and support his dream - Thankyou so much