Hi, my name is Candice, and I am mum to Lennie, who is now 4 years old. We live in Ackworth, West Yorkshire.

Lennie was born extremely prematurely at 27+6 weeks, weighing just 2lb 12oz, and spent over 10 weeks in hospital. At just four weeks old, Lennie was diagnosed with Severe Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) due to a lack of oxygen at birth. He was later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, affecting the front areas on both sides of his brain, which impacts his movement, coordination and speech.

Lennie is not meeting many of his developmental milestones. The NHS currently provides physiotherapy every 12 weeks and hydrotherapy when available, but this level of support is not enough for the intensive therapy he needs.

To give Lennie the best chance to progress, he requires weekly private physiotherapy, which costs approximately £130 per week, alongside additional therapies such as rebound therapy, hydrotherapy, movement therapy and conductive education. These therapies are already making a positive difference, but the cost of maintaining them consistently is overwhelming for our family.

We are also hoping to access specialist intensive therapy programmes. Our dream is to take Lennie to Canada for specialist therapy, and potentially explore stem cell treatment in America, which may offer further opportunities to support his development. However, the costs for treatment, travel and accommodation are extremely high, and we need financial support to make this possible.

In addition to therapy, Lennie also requires specialist equipment to support his posture, mobility and motor development — much of which is not available through the NHS.

I never imagined I would be in a position to ask for help like this, but as a parent, I will do anything to give my child the best chance at independence and the brightest future possible.

Every donation, no matter how small, and every share truly makes a difference and brings Lennie one step closer to reaching his full potential.

Thank you so much for your kindness, support and generosity — we are incredibly grateful.

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