For Keir

UPDATE (April 18 2022):

I can't tell you how overwhelmed we were by your generosity two years ago - and that that generosity has continued in the intervening period. It made all the difference to Peter, Vee, and Keir. Keir turned 17 this January!

Recent months haven't been easy for the family. In November, Keir had major surgery to remodel one of his hip sockets and the top of his femur - 7 hours in theatre. And, in the last little while, he has had suffered from kidney infections, caused by kidney stones, which meant he had to have surgery for a kidney drain.

Vee writes, "Keir continues to be remarkable, I've never met anyone with such emotional resilience."

Right now, as I write, Keir is being transferred to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth for surgery to remove as many of those stones as possible. In order to support Keir in Plymouth, Peter and Vee have had to book a room in a hotel run by a charity for parents and relatives. It's subsidised, but the room will still be £50 a night and they're going to need to be there for up two weeks - so it could cost as much as £700.

So, to all of you who were so generous two years ago and have been wondering how they're doing, anything you could afford to give to help fund the cost of the room would be so gratefully received.

Thank you, and Happy Easter,

Suzannah 


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I'm Suzannah Lipscomb, and I'm raising money for my old friend, Tudor court jester, Peter Cooper, his partner, Vee, and her son, Keir.

Keir was born with a rare genetic condition. He is almost completely blind, and he has severe learning difficulties and epilepsy. He has spent much of his life in hospital.

When he was 11, Peter and Vee discovered a form of neuroplasticity therapy that really helped Keir progress and gain skills he had never had before. Working with a nutritionist in the last few years, they have found that a specialist diet and a huge array of (pricey) supplements have made a real breakthrough in Keir's wellbeing, especially his immune system, gut health, and neurological health. 

But, this year, Peter's income has been totally wiped out. He earns most of his income as a Tudor court jester between Easter and late summer. Because of COVID-19, he won't be working at all in that period this year.

The government averaged Peter's yearly profit and are giving him around 30% of that, which means Peter has been left really short, by many thousands of pounds. Vee became self-employed (as a therapist with vulnerable people) before lockdown, which meant her carer's allowance was stopped, but, at the same time, she hasn't been self-employed long enough to benefit from the government scheme.

Peter and Vee have been shielding Keir, and haven't left their house at all - not for exercise, to go to the shops or the park, not even for medical appointments - since lockdown began. (They also have not had any support in this time - they care for Keir around the clock, through often broken nights and long days. This also means they don't have time to get creative about earning online etc.) When things are delivered, they are left in the garage for 72 hours to make sure they are perfectly safe before they enter the house.

Neither Peter nor Vee have any idea when they will work again -  but what they do know is that it will be a lot later than many people, both because of the nature of their work and because they will be shielding Keir until they can be as sure as possible that it is safe for him to go out again. As of this week, Keir's immunologist warned them on a video appointment not to risk Keir's health by breaking lockdown, despite government advice.

As Peter and Vee run out of money, there is no way that they can continue to afford this level of investment in Keir's health. They need your help to support all the advances in Keir's health that they have achieved over the last few years.

This is a difficult time for many: COVID is causing chaos, unemployment, and financial anxiety for many people. 

But if you can, please could you give something to help Peter, Vee, and Keir.

Thank you. 

Suzannah