Please help us support our beautiful boy, Freddie O’Connell-Dowd.

Meet Freddie

Freddie is a joyful little boy who, in his first weeks of life, was diagnosed with a rare brain development condition that significantly affects how his brain works and grows. He lives with medication-resistant epilepsy, cerebral palsy and global developmental delay, and has already spent much of his young life in hospital.

More recently, Freddie has received a confirmed diagnosis of Gould Syndrome, an extremely rare genetic condition that brings further medical complexity and lifelong challenges.

Freddie’s medical team expect he will live with significant disability throughout his life. While we can’t know exactly what his future will look like, we do know that early therapy, specialist supports and the right equipment can make a real difference to his comfort, mobility and ability to engage with the world.

Why We’re Fundraising

Freddie requires ongoing:

• Physiotherapy

• Occupational therapy

• Speech and feeding therapy

• Specialist equipment and mobility supports

In the near future, he will need splints, feeding and bathing supports, an adapted pram, and later an adapted wheelchair and vehicle.

With his recent diagnosis and increasing care needs, we are now facing estimated costs of over $200,000 per year to provide Freddie with the therapy, equipment, and daily support he requires. We are incredibly grateful for the support provided through the NDIS, which contributes meaningfully toward his care. However, there remains a substantial gap between what is funded and what Freddie needs to truly thrive.

We are also continuing to cover medications and specialised feeding equipment out of pocket, with support from Brainwave Australia.

How Your Support Helps

Funds raised will go directly towards:

• Unfunded therapy programs

• In-home support carer

• Essential medical and feeding equipment

• Unfunded mobility and care supports

• Giving back to Brainwave Australia

Save the Date – Freddie’s Fundraiser

We will be holding a special Fundraising Event for Freddie on 28/02/26 at Clovelly Surf Club.

The day will include:

• Silent and live auctions

• BBQ

• Tea and coffee

If you’re unable to attend in person, the silent auction will also be available online and is currently live.

Please follow the link to view:

https://airauctioneer.com/freddies-fundraiser

Please note, the silent auction will finish at 12:30pm on Saturday 28/2/26

We would love you to join us, support Freddie, and be part of our village.

A sincere thank you to everyone who has already donated to this page, contributed auction items, shared Freddie’s story, or offered their time and support. Your generosity and kindness mean more to our family than we can put into words.

Every contribution, share and show of support helps ease the pressure on Freddie’s family and ensures he can access the care he deserves.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you.