My name is Fuzzy and I am a small bear going on big adventures to help Mikey and Georgia raise money so they can fund speech and language assessments for families who are struggling to access speech and language services.

We all know how early intervention is key when a child is struggling with their speech, especially when verbal dyspraxia/apraxia is suspected, but due to a serious lack of government funding in this area so many children are not getting the help they so desperately need.

So why does a small bear like me care so much about this? I mean bears dont speak right? Well…

My friend Mikey, who is 22, lives with a diagnosis of verbal dyspraxia/ apraxia and he had to have 13 years of specialised, intensive speech therapy just so he could have the voice he has today. A voice that he says still isn't ‘perfect’ but without those 13 years of speech therapy he wouldn‘t have a voice at all.

Mikey has spent the last 9 years raising awareness of verbal dyspraxia/apraxia and is now actively campaigning in Parliament to try and secure more funding for speech and language services.

Then there is my friend Georgia, a mum to Zach who also lives with a diagnosis of verbal dyspraxia/apraxia. She has had to fight so hard to get any support for Zach and due to the serious lack of funding is having to pay privately so that Zach’s need for speech therapy is being met.

Georgia has also designed Communication Stations, originally so that she had a way to communicate with Zach but she now distributes them around the country so all children have the chance to be heard.

It is believed that 5% of all children are impacted by speech, language and communication needs and more needs to be done to ensure that their needs are met.

Please can you help me help Mikey and Georgia fulfill their mission of funding speech and language assessments for families who so desperately need them.

Thank you 🐾