What happened?

On the 20th of January Luke’s world as he knew it was about to be cruelly and drastically changed. That day we had a phone call from the ambulance service to say Luke was not in a good way and they were sending a police escort to collect us all from home and take us to the hospital. My thought process soon went from ‘Luke wont be at college tomorrow’ to the uncertainty of knowing if he will even see tomorrow.

Luke had suffered from a catastrophic brain aneurysm known as Arteriovenous malformation. AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, which disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen circulation. An AVM can occur anywhere in the body, but brain and spinal AVMs present substantial risks and in some cases can be fatal when they bleed. Arriving at the hospital felt like being on another planet. There lay my son, attached to every machine and wire you could ever imagine just to keep him alive. With Addenbrookes not even considering taking Luke into their care, we knew our time with him was fading and every family member came to say their final goodbyes. However, later that afternoon once they had decided to reduce the sedation, Luke somehow found the strength to ever so slightly move his hand. The sheer power Luke showed was enough to get him to Addenbrookes for the life saving surgery and treatment he so desperately needed after previously being refused treatment.

Next thing we knew, Luke was being wheeled down the corridor towards Addenbrookes theater to receive surgery to release the pressure on his brain. We all knew Luke’s chances of survival were slim to none but we held out hope.

Fast forward 2 years later, against all the odds Luke survived and is now living at The Sue Ryder Neurological Center to support his needs. As we all know Covid hit the world like a truck and when it reached The Sue Ryder Neurological Center our ability to see our son was taken from us, making an already challenging situation a million times worse. As a result of this, Luke spent both his 18th and 19th birthday alone and without family and friends. With Luke now being unable to speak, move any of his limbs, being doubly incontinent, and peg fed we have been unable to take him home with us due to not having the correct space or resources to provide aid. At this stage in his life, Luke should have graduated college, passed his driving test and finished his bricklaying course, along with other huge milestones that come with turning 18,19 and 20. Our now 20-year-old son has not been home with his family for 2 years.

All throughout this time, we have been looking for a suitable property to get our son home where he desperately needs to be, with his mum, dad, brothers and sisters, for him to progress further. After many meetings, calls and visits with various people, the council has decided they would contribute towards building an extension on the side of our end terrace property. This extension would make our home suitable for Luke to return.

How will the extension help bring Luke home?

This new extension will include a bedroom and wet room fitted with the necessary furniture to make Luke feel comfortable and at home, along with track hoists to help Luke get in and out of bed and the bath. Along with the extension, an accessible driveway will be added to make Luke’s access to the house as easy as possible.

This extension is massive to our family as it means Luke can be where he belongs, surrounded by people who love and care for him.

East Suffolk County Council is kindly willing to contribute a grant of £35K; the rest falls on our shoulders. However, we are asking for your help to raise a further £50,000 to help complete this work and get our son home.

Luke wants nothing more than to come home and this will be possible with the extension so any help whatsoever will be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Dave & Karen