To support Hope’s journey towards independence and improved health!

This fund is to help towards the purchase of a lightweight wheelchair which will give Hope some of the independence she needs, 

Hope jumped off the sofa at home aged 11 in 2012 and fractured her heel bone – this minor accident triggered a painful neurological condition – complex regional pain syndrome and left her in extreme pain and unable to walk for months. She seemingly made a good recovery but after only a few weeks back in school she contracted glandular fever and after months of being unwell with pain and extreme fatigue was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome and chronic fatigue. In October 2014 Hope began to suffer with seizures and was eventually diagnosed with FND - Functional neurological disorder. FND is due to a problem with the functioning of the nervous system and thought to be the result of the brain’s inability to send and receive signals properly, rather than disease. Hope’s FND means she suffers with around 10 seizures a day.

Due to the complex nature of Hope’s condition she travels down to London’s UCLH hospital every 4 months for rehabilitation therapy with a specialist team. There is no service in County Durham for young people with chronic fatigue as all provision has been cut so any specialised neuro- physiotherapy has to be accessed privately.

She has been unable to attend school for the last 2 years and isn’t well enough yet to attend college beyond an hour a week but is a passionate photographer with big plans for the future.