We are raising £50,000 (and hopefully more) to help build a ground floor room for our niece Isla and her family as she continues to suffer with ME/long covid.

Isla is 15 and has been in hospital for over a year now with very severe ME/long covid. She lies in the dark and silence, unable to watch TV, listen to music, manage her own personal hygiene, or talk for more than a few minutes. She is tube fed, has not stood up in two years, is constantly nauseous and feels like she has flu. Isla's Mum and Dad have maintained 24 hour care for Isla whilst she's in hospital as she often requires one of them to hold a sick bowl for hours at a time, rearrange her covers multiple times through the night (as her temperature fluctuates wildly), reposition her and her calf support cushions and generally continue their amazing job of supporting Isla's mental wellbeing. All this alongside multiple meetings and reviews that come with complex care and the equally important task of looking after Isla's brother Leo. To enable this to happen neither of Isla's parents, Rob and Eleanor, have been able to go to work for over a year and as of the end of May they no longer have any income beyond a small amount of disability benefit.

Getting Rob back to work is going to be difficult and will be part time due to the level of care giving required. In the meantime they have the very important task of starting to think about how their home needs adapting to allow Isla to come home safely.

Isla has been in hospital for nearly 15 Months, she is not able to come home and live with her family until we can raise funds to adapt the home. She is unable to return safely to her old upstairs bedroom. An extension will provide her a safe place to come home to, but also a place where she can hopefully get better and start to live and look to the future together as a family.

Over the coming months with no income, a number of Isla’s extended family are planning various challenges to raise money to support Isla's family and start the process of working towards extending the house.

Isla’s Aunty Jo is setting the ball rolling by walking the 100 mile Isle of Man coastal path named the Raad ny Follian. She will be completing legs of the walk most weekends and then over the school holidays, with a plan to finish by the end of August. We will update this statement as other family members confirm their plans.

Update - 17/07/2026:

The Gale family are walking for Isla

"Over the summer holidays we aim to walk the length of Cheshire from Frodsham in the North to Whitchurch along the Sandstone Trail. The walk is at least 35 miles and we’ll do it over three sessions. Each walk will be a bit of a challenge for Thomas (11) and Grace (9) particularly, especially because there’ll be an extra walk to get to the bus stop or station at the start and end of each leg. We’re hoping to help raise money to help get Isla home to her family, and to get them through until the care is in place so her dad can get back to work."

Update - 18/07/2026

A message from Isla’s Mum Eleanor: “My old school friend Emily, and her son Caleb(17) are leaving tomorrow for a 420km cycle ride and would love to cycle in support of Isla. They are cycling from Orleans following the Loire to the coast - a place called St Brevins Le Pins. Just over 420km Orleans to the coast xx”

Update 17/08/2026

Isla’s Grandma and Grandpa say:

‘Watching our beautiful granddaughter lying motionless in a darkened room for over a year is heartbreaking. We are both in our 80’s, but are determined to do our own challenges. Caroline plans to cook 100 meals for Isla’s family over an extended period, while Trevor will give a public reading of ‘The Book of Books’, his retelling of some of the finest stories and poetry in the Bible. It will take him 12.5 hours over two days.

Thank you for your support. It means a great deal to us.’

Update 25/08/2026

Isla's Uncle Tim is walking the 36 mile Wirral Circular Trail which runs around the coast of the Wirral in one go. He is aiming to complete it in around 12 hours over the bank holiday weekend. 'Any little thing I can do to help get Isla home to her family is the least I can do.'

Update 31/08/2026

A lot has happened in a few days! Jo and Tim have both finished their challenges and we are astounded with all the donations that have come in this week as we edge towards £10,000. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

After a phenomenal start to fundraising we feel that it is time to make our true goal public. Isla's family feel that a sum in the region of £50,000 will supplement the funding that is currently pending from their local authority to build a suitable extension for Isla. One that will help Isla to make significant improvements in her condition and help her to feel part of the family under the same roof. Beyond a standard extension the space will need soundproofing, air exchange and air conditioning. And as Isla improves she will need a wet room and a fully accessible front door.

We really do appreciate every single donation and know how gobsmacked Isla will be one day when she understands just how many people have shown her so much care and love.

Update 06/09/2026

A message from Eleanor’s school friend Izzy:

“I wanted to let you know that next Sunday Vinnie (Izzy’s husband) is doing a 100km bike ride in the Peaks as part of a mass participation ride called the Grindleford Goat. He is going to use it as a chance to raise money for Isla 😘”

Update 19/10/2026

The Gales have completed walking the Sandstone Trail from Frodsham in the north of Cheshire to Whitchurch just over the border in Shropshire.

A message from Sarah (Isla’s Aunty):

Over four days we've walked 45 miles and climbed 1,268 meters. This weekend we completed the toughest part, 24 miles from Tarporley to Whitchurch in two days. This is the furthest Grace (age 9) and Thomas (age 11) have ever walked. They stayed calm when a cow got a bit frisky and coped with several unmarked diversions that added a couple of miles onto a tiring day. This was also the most poignant section because we used to meet up with Isla and family at Bickerton Hill before she got ill. We have lots of happy memories of shorter walks together. Despite a bit of an age gap, she has always been a brilliant cousin for Grace and Thomas, which is why they wanted to join in and help in whatever way they can. Grace even allowed us to take photos of her along the way.

If you are able to donate we will all be so grateful and please feel free to share this page across social media.

Many, many thanks from us all xx

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, I will withdraw funds directly. It's the most efficient way to donate and saves time and costs.