Hi my name is Andy and the photo above is of my little girl, Alannah. Alannah is 5 years old and lives at home in Weston super Mare with me, mum Lisa and big sister Ella. Alannah is a happy girl but has faced many challenges in her short life.
When she was 9 months old she was diagnosed with a severe sight impairment and was registered blind. Alannah failed to meet her milestones and is unable to stand, walk, talk, feed and dress herself. We undertook and number of tests, scans and MRI's plus ongoing extensive genetic testing but to this day we have no diagnosis for Alannahs condition. Having Alannah is an absolute joy and she brings so much love and laughter into our lives. However Alannah is growing up and we are starting to find that looking after her has physical challenges. Being unable to walk we must carry Alannah everywhere. Carrying her upstairs to her bedroom and lifting her into the bath is especially tough. The answer is to extend our home to accommodate a bedroom and wetroom complete with changing table and hoist. We are extremely grateful to receive a Disabled Facilities Grant from the local authority however there is a snag, the grant doesn't cover the entire cost of the build. We're hoping to raise money to cover the shortfall, but without it we are unable to start the build.
This means so much to me and my family as it will enable us to carry on meeting Alannah's needs whilst giving Alannah the quality of care and comfort in her own home only parents can give their child. Myself and my family will do all that we can to raise money for our cause. We will be carrying out a number of activities to raise money. Our daughter Ella is excited to create a bake sale, Lisa is looking to organise an event at her gym and I, with help from a couple of mates, will be trekking the hills and highlands of our local area namely the Mendips, Quantocks, Brecon and finally Snowdonia. We fully appreciate your time and kind donations. It means the world to us!