A Gift for Grace

Hi, I'm Grace’s mum. I would like to tell you about my amazing little girl and why we are fundraising for some much needed therapy through The Family Hope Centre.

We as a family want the very best for Grace, as do most parents. But for Grace getting the right help now is imperative for a bright future. The future we are hoping for is one where she can live independently, get a job, make good friends, and most of all be happy.

Grace was born in November 2010 with Down syndrome and a life threatening condition, which meant her oesophagus hadn't formed properly. Due to this Grace spent 4 months in Alder Hey Children’s hospital and underwent a 9-hour operation where the doctors constructed a new oesophagus from her colon. After two weeks in intensive care and a few weeks recovery, we were finally allowed to bring Grace home.

In June 2011 we found out that Grace had a tethered spinal cord so she had to undergo another big operation to fix it.
It was in this year that she also began to have seizures. Doctors diagnosed infantile spasms and then later generalised epilepsy for which she is medicated. The medication she takes makes her irritable and can affect her sleep.

Down syndrome affects children in many different ways. It causes low muscle tone, which makes it difficult for Grace to walk, talk, read and write and do most things that other children find easy. Although we are hoping that Grace will eventually be able to do all these things: they will always be harder for her. Her short-term memory is also affected due to Down syndrome as well as her hearing and vision- Grace currently has to wear glasses and hearing aids.
In an ideal world the support and therapies Grace needed would be plentiful on the NHS. In reality she's lucky if she sees her therapists twice a year.

We believe the Family Hope Center is the key to her future as they offer the kind of therapy unlike any other. A program tailored for Grace, designed to significantly improve her brain functions.The Family Hope Center have already made such a difference to the lives of other children with neurological challenges just like Grace and we really do believe they can make a massive difference to Graces life. But unfortunately these therapies don't come cheap.


Things have been far from easy for Grace in her 4yrs of life but you will rarely see her without a huge smile on her face. She is an amazing little girl whose sheer determination and zest for life brings me to why we are asking for help from friends, family and anyone who is kind enough to donate for our little girl. Your support will make a huge difference and contribution, however small means the world.
Thank you for reading.