Young lives you can transform for the better
JJ WATTS
Daniella Patey’s life was turned upside down when her son JJ was diagnosed with autism. The three-year-old has terrifying meltdowns in which he hurts himself, screams uncontrollably and won’t even let his heartbroken mum comfort him with a cuddle.
Daniella’s every day life experiences will ring familiar with other mums who have autistic children but they came as a massive shock to the 28-year-old, who also has daughter Lucy, seven.
JJ can bang his head on things, slap himself in the face, bite himself and “scream like he’s being murdered,” says his mum.
Daniella said: “It’s really traumatising as a parent. I’ve never felt so helpless. He won’t let me give him a cuddle to soothe him. I just have to sit on the outside and try and soothe him with the sound of my voice.
“It used to really upset Lucy, too, when he had a meltdown but she’s used to it now.”
Daniella would love an outdoor play set for JJ, who goes to nursery at Gibside School, to use in the garden at their home in Gateshead but it comes at a hefty price of almost £700. “It would be really beneficial to his development but I just can’t afford it,” the single mum added.
The climbing frame would help to improve JJ’s hand-eye coordination and balance, which he struggles with, and would most of all be a safe place for him to enjoy himself and give Daniella some much-needed peace of mind. MORE than £51,000 has been raised by our generous readers this month for the Sunshine Fund.
Thanks to you, the lives of a number of local disabled children will be changed forever and a massive smile will be on their faces.
The Sunshine Fund’s Go Bananas appeal throughout June has been fantastic, with lots of fundraising
HAWWA CHOUDHARY
Little Hawwa loves feeling the wind and rain on her face while she is outside.
The five-year-old from Fenham suffers from global developmental delay and hypotonia, also known as floppy baby syndrome, meaning she needs round-the-clock care.
But that doesn’t stop her from enjoying family days out with parents Mussarat and Modaser and brothers Yahya, nine, and Dawud, seven.
Sadly, Hawwa’s buggy struggles with rough ter
EMILY AND CHRISTOPHER WATSON
These six-year-old twins from Ryton suffered brain damage after being born prematurely.
They require round-the-clock-care, are quadriplegic and suffer from cerebral palsy due to their arrival 14 weeks early.
Terrifyingly, both can even stop breathing without warning due to their complicated medical conditions.
Life is a struggle for parents Claire and Paul as they are needed to do everything for their children while living in an unadapted home.
But like all other families, they love days out
events taking place, so thank you to everyone who got involved.
We just need one final push to reach our £60,000 target to help all of the lovely kids in our appeal this year.
When the equipment can’t be provided by the NHS or the council and the families simply can’t afford it, that’s where the Sunshine Fund comes in. This is why Go Bananas is so important.
Here is a reminder of the inspiring kids who still need your donations – which can massively improve their lives. meaning the family’s day trips are often limited, but a more robust one would cost almost £2,900.
Mum Mussarat, 33, said: “She likes the wind and the rain and she absolutely loves the snow.
“But in her buggy now it’s really hard to go in the snow.
“If we had an off-road buggy, we’d even be able to go onto the beach. She’d be able to be out and enjoy quality time with the family.”
Unfortunately, a more robust buggy comes with a massive price tag of almost £3,000, which the family simply cannot afford.
Grateful Mussarat, a full-time carer, said the support would mean the world to the family. walking up hills and playing on the beach. The Watsons would love a cycle trailer to attach to Emily and Christopher’s all-terrain buggies so they can enjoy bike rides as a family.
Claire said: “Going out on bike rides would give them a different sensory experience. Emily absolutely loves going fast and feeling the wind on her face.
“It’s important that they can do things that other children can.
“The generosity always astounds me. I feel like Emily and Christopher are our children and our responsibility and it’s really frustrating that we can’t afford to give them everything we want to.
“They aren’t other people’s responsibility so I think it’s such an amazing generous thing that people want to help them.”
The two cycle trailers would cost £815.