About Joshua

Our beautiful son Joshua Hemley was born on January 31st 2024 with a grade 4 bilateral brain bleed, leaving him with four-limbed cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, global brain damage and blindness. He will never be able to walk, talk, eat or care for himself. We are raising funds to give Joshua the care, equipment and safe home environment he needs to live comfortably and help his big brother Ben enjoy precious time with him for as long as Joshua is with us.

His Journey

When Joshua was born, our world changed forever. But not with the joy a newborn child usually brings. Joshua was in the neonatal unit from birth for the first few days of his life and we were told it was jaundice and precautionary. 48 hours after his birth a consultant pulled us into a room to say they had performed an ultrasound on his brain and found a severe brain-bleed. We were then told he would be taken by Ambulance to a specialist hospital in London to receive neurosurgical care. Our world and Joshua's future was about to be destroyed.

Following 4 weeks of intensive intervention, ventricular taps,MRI's, NG/NJ tubes in both nostrils for medicine and food we were asked to attend a meeting with 12 consultants. At this meeting, we were told they had never seen a brain bleed as severe on a full term, new born baby. Furthermore, Joshua's global damage would mean he would have almost no cognitive function and they strongly recommended he be put on an end of life comfort care plan as they did not deem his life worth saving. Rachael (Josh's mother) asked every consultant individually if they would do the same for their own children and they agreed. It was at that moment we completely broke down and had to agree with their recommendations. We were told he wouldn't survive his first Christmas.

He moved to Shooting Stars Hospice (Christopher's) in Guildford. The staff and whole team have been a constant shining light and small spark of joy in our unimaginable journey so far. Alex (Joshua's father) will be running the 2026 London Marathon to raise funds for this wonderful charity and organisation.

Joshua did survive his first Christmas. He has fought through challenges that many adults would not have been able to cope with. The doctors have now said that Joshua could survive into his teenage years and perhaps adulthood but will require 24 hour care, home adaptations and extensive specialist equipment for the rest of his life.

Joshua is our little warrior - gentle, brave and happy (in his own way). His big brother Ben (age 5) adores him and tries so hard to help, longing for a brother he can play and laugh with. Watching their bond is both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.

His future

As Joshua grows, his needs will continue to grow too. We urgently need to:

Every donation, no matter the size, will make a real difference - helping us give Joshua safety, comfort and dignity whilst allowing Ben to grow in a home filled with love and hope rather than struggle and despair.

We know times are hard for everyone, and we appreciate any help you can offer - whether it's a donation or simply sharing our story with friends, families and colleagues. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for supporting Joshua and our family.

With love and gratitude,

Alex, Rachael, Ben and Joshua

The Hemley Family.