An unexpected life of an Artist living with CP

Hi, I’m Julie and I am writing this GoFundMe request in the hope that friends, family or the kindness of strangers will help my son Alexander Van Der Byl through a Masters degree at the Royal College of Art in London.

Alex suffered a brain injury at birth and was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy with very little hope of a ‘normal’ or ‘fulfilling’ life. From the age of 15 weeks old, we, as a family, embarked on an extensive and intensive life of therapies for him (many through amazing charities) in the hope of giving him the potential of a rewarding life that every parent wishes for their child. Thankfully, from one tiny achievement to the next, Alex began to find his way through the labyrinth of the difficulties imposed on him by cerebral palsy through determination, commitment and love.

23 years later in 2021, Alex achieved a First Class BA in Fine Art (Photography) from Edinburgh College of Art. A moment I could barely believe to be true. I fail to find the words to express the enormous effort and resilience Alex has shown over the years to reach this place. He regards himself as being extremely fortunate that different therapies have worked for him, and a future path has begun to take shape for him. The cost of embarking on an MA at the RCA is quite considerable, hence the need for fund-raising.

He has been awarded the Rose Finn-Kelcey Scholarship of £5k to help towards his fees, along with a student loan. Sadly he missed out on the Tony Snowdon Scholarship, for which he was short-listed, but he is nearly halfway to achieving his target. He will need a further £13,000 to support his move to London in September and to pay for the expected living and project costs.

In his daily life Alex still contends with muscle fatigue and pain, in addition to issues with fine motor skills. Both of these result in him needing to engage support at times, incurring further costs.

I now find myself needing to turn to the crowdfunding community to ask for help with the next chapter of Alex’s life. I have found myself in the unenviable position of living with advanced breast cancer which has spread to my bones, making it very hard for me to work in order to support Alex.

I truly appreciate you reading this request but as his mother (unbiased of course!) I know that Alex possesses the potential to develop and lead a life of future success.

I also know that as a sensitive and caring young man, Alex will, in some way, give back to those who also find themselves up against life’s challenges. But for now, the aim is to raise £13k to ensure that he will be able to take up his place at the RCA.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to anyone who feels able to donate in any way and become part of this next chapter. If you would like to view any of Alex’s work or CV please use the link provided. Alex's Portfolio

Thank you.

Julie