Hi everyone! Our names are Molly Morgan, Tash Fourie and Ella Jones-Loates and this is our fundraising page raising money for a cause named "Funds for Fred". We will be completing a 10,000 ft skydive this year with all funds going towards this amazing cause and any support, no matter how big or small, will be GREATLY appreciated.

In summary, Funds for Fred has been set up by our amazing friend and colleague, Sofie. Sofie works alongside us at The Nursery in Portishead where we have renewed our fundraising focus as a business to support Sofie and her amazing cause. Sofie's son Fred, who is 8 years old, has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD, which is a progressive muscle-wasting condition that dramatically decreases life-expectancy. Through this page and the money raised from our skydive, we aim to provide Fred with the money to have his very own service assistance dog. This would give Fred a trusted companion and enable him the independence and support he needs to help him enjoy life.

Please continue reading to hear Sofie, Fred and her families full story or visit the link below.

https://thenursery.uk.com/funds-for-fred-our-new-fundraising-initiative/

I’m Sofie, and I’ve worked in the Nursery office since April. I’ve met so many of you, and hope my face is familiar to lots of you. You may have noticed that in the past few months we’ve had renewed focus on fundraising, and I wanted to personally explain why.

I have two children, Max and Fred. Fred is 8 years old – he’s an amazing son, brother and friend. He wakes up with a smile on his face, and finds the fun in every day. He also suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

We have always thought that Fred was a bit clumsy, often falling or tripping over, and he struggled to keep up with his friends. We were absolutely sure he would grow out of it – after all, kids grow and develop at different rates. Fred was just a little bit slower and a little less sure on his feet. We saw a number of healthcare professionals who told us the same – to just wait, and he would catch up. He had such an amazing, positive attitude to life that we really didn’t worry. At all.

Until one day last March when we were told that, following some blood tests, everything we believed was wrong. He wasn’t getting stronger, and he never would. In fact the opposite was true. He had tested positive for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD, which is a progressive muscle-wasting condition that dramatically decreases life-expectancy – something that he was born with, completely unknown to us.

It’s impossible to describe how we felt, how we still feel. Fred’s love for life is still there, but his future has changed dramatically. We have had to change the way we think about life completely. We are currently adapting our family home to ensure Fred can live comfortably with us without struggling to get upstairs each night to go to bed or play in his bedroom. We plan days out where we can take his wheelchair so he can join in when he can, and rest when he can’t. We no longer say ‘maybe we’ll do that one day’ – we try to make it happen today. Our world has become so much smaller, but our perspective is enormously bigger.

With all this comes daily life – getting to school, doing homework, going to clubs – but each day feels like a mountain to climb. And at the same time, each day is a gift, and one that we don’t want to waste.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Fred’s weakness is his condition – but his strength is his attitude to life. His glass is always half full, there is always fun to be had, and always something to smile about. He doesn’t even see his limitations because to him they aren’t limitations – they’re just who he is. And if he can’t do something for himself, he can always find someone who’ll do it for him, for a wink and a smile!

While there is no cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, there are lots of things that can help Fred live his life to his full potential. An off-road wheelchair, for example, would allow us as a family to get out and about without having to limit ourselves to smooth pavements and accessible (and often more boring!) places, and also help him keep up with his friends, join in with Cubs and be the adventurous, curious little boy that he is. An assistance dog would give him a compassionate companion, as well as the ability to be more independent and do things by himself without constantly having to ask for help. Disabled horse-riding lessons would allow him to do the physiotherapy he needs on a daily basis in a fun, outdoorsy way that would keep him interested and stop him rejecting it as a boring waste of time. The list goes on…

There is no end to Fred’s challenges, but also no end of inventive ways to approach them. The Nursery wants to help be a part of this, and wants to raise money to be able to give something to Fred to help him enjoy life. We are launching “Funds for Fred”, where you’ll be able to see where your money is going and know that every penny donated is going towards helping my little boy to keep smiling. There is no obligation to take part in any of the fundraising events or activities, but please know that, if you do, I will be thanking you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you, Sofie.