50k Swim for Isabella Amico

This is a fundraising page for Isabella Amico, aged 2, who unexpectedly suffered a catastrophic brain injury during birth and has severe complex health needs as a result. Isabella has Cerebral Palsy, cannot sit or stand unaided, and is tube fed, therefore needs a huge amount of equipment and round-the-clock care.

On the week of 5th June 2023, I will be attempting to swim 50k in one week (2,000 lengths of a 25m swimming pool). I hope to raise as much money as possible to help Isabella's parents fund therapies, equipment and adaptations to their home. That means I'll be in the pool for 2-3 hours a day, for 7 days, slogging out an average of 285 lengths a day.

The best therapies out there to ensure Isabella continues to develop and reach her potential are incredibly expensive, but whilst there is no ‘cure’ for brain damage, there is very real evidence that continued physio, OT and speech and language input (to name but a few) can drive neuroplasticity and encourage new pathways to form.

Isabella loves nothing more than attention, cuddles, music and stories – she may be non-verbal but can absolutely communicate her feelings, and watching her engage with toys and people around her is something her parents, our good friends Jo and Andy, never thought they would experience. The NHS have been as supportive as they can be, however one physio session every 6 weeks is nowhere near the amount of specialist input she needs to prevent her muscles and abilities regressing. NAPA (the world leading therapy centre for Cerebral Palsy, based in America), have recently announced they are opening in London. A 3 week intensive will cost £5,250.

Please help me help Isabella! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!