Leo was born at 32wks weighing 2lb15 & had a true knot in his cord & around his neck causing lack of growth, chronic lung disease & lack of oxygen to his brain. Leo was on a ventilator to help him breathe & the first 48hrs of his life was touch & go, resulting in spending 5mths in intensive care.

Leo has significant neurodevelopmental difficulties including global developmental delay, complex learning difficulties, significant social communication and motor difficulties. He has sensory processing disorder, no clear speech & can get very frustrated with everyday situations. He has traits under the autism spectrum and has very challenging behaviours and a poor sleeping pattern.

Many children like Leo go undiagnosed & Leo has many complex difficulties so they don't fall under a certain category. This makes life very difficult for Leo's family in managing his meltdowns and he finds everyday situations hard to cope with.

It's distressing for Leo's family & with little support from professionals, they have found something that might help - An Assistance / Therapy Dog.

These dogs have been seen to be amazing companions for children with autism, helping to reduce their stress levels therefore reducing the meltdowns & challenging behaviours. Unfortunately there are so many children now under the autism spectrum that charity funding is no longer available. The only way to do this is to fund it themselves with Therapy Dogs UK who are a not-for-profit organisation that put dogs through a therapy programme.

Hugo (pictured with Leo) is a 4mnth old Labrador & has a brilliant temperament & a lovely calm nature - the main attributes required for a Therapy Dog. Unfortunately, like all good things this come at a price. The cost of buying Hugo & putting him through bespoke therapy training programme is around £5,000.

Once Hugo completes the training, he will make a huge difference to Leo's life and to the lives of his family.

Thank you for helping Leo and his family. xxx