Fundraiser for brave boy to undergo second round of eyesight treatment
REGGIE ASLIN IS COMING ON LEAPS AND BOUNDS SINCE HIS FIRST TREATMENT IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR
THE parents of a brave seven-yearold Grimsby boy who has undergone multiple surgeries since he was born are raising money for a second round of pioneering treatment in Germany to help him regain his eyesight. Football-mad Reggie Aslin was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a complex and rare birth defect which occurs when the left side of the heart does not form correctly. He had surgery aged just a few days old, and again when he was six months old. But after having his third operation in early 2023 aged six, Reggie suffered a series of devastating strokes. Doctors feared he may never walk or talk again, and he was left with very little vision. In October, having raised an incredible £10,500, Reggie’s family were able to take him to Germany to undergo a pioneering treatment. Amazingly, the Mariners fan responded “really well”, with his eyesight improving drastically. Mum Michelle and dad Lee were advised by the doctor who performed the treatment that Reggie would need to return for a second round within 12 months of the first. They now
hope to raise another £10,000 to take him back to Germany by November.
Speaking to Grimsby Live, Lee Aslin said: “The doctor in Germany has been in touch and said Reggie has responded really well to the treatment and his eyesight has come on lots and improved, which it has. Me and his mum can see how much his eyesight has improved, and the doctor said he thinks it’s really beneficial that Reggie comes back again. “He’s got to come back within the next 12 months of him having his last treatment, so ideally we need to take him back before November this year for him to have his second treatment, to make it more beneficial for him because his brain is still very active and he’s still responding to the last treatment. So having another treatment back to back will carry on the progression we’ve seen so far.”
Before going to Germany for his first treatment, Reggie’s vision was so poor that he was unable to read or use his iPad, Lee said. “Since returning he’s back in the garden running round playing football and using his iPad to play games, and he’s getting better at reading. He was doing none of that last year,” he continued.
“It’s amazing to see. He’s a massive football fan and football is his life, so taking his vision away from him is taking football away from him. They said he might never walk again, but football has definitely helped him walk again. “His determination of wanting to play football so much has spurred him on and made him kick that ball again, so it just proves how much his eyesight has come on.”
In July, Lee plans to walk 76 miles from Leeds Royal Infirmary, where Reggie was born, to Grimsby, to raise money for his treatment.
He said: “We’re walking 76 miles all in one go. I know it’s going to be a tough one, but nothing compares to what Reggie has been through.” ■You can donate to Michelle Aslin’s fundraiser to ensure Reggie can undergo a second round of pioneering treatment in Germany by visiting www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ michelle-aslin
We need to take him back before November this year for his second treatment, to make it more beneficial. Lee Aslin