Franklin’s Fund

Meet Franklin; an incredibly special little boy with a madcap sense of humour and a goofy laugh, a head for facts and world flags, a love of Lego and all things Harry Potter and an obsession with Friday Night Dinner (the TV show, not the actual Jewish tradition!).

Towards the end of 2021, Franklin was undergoing assessment for autism when a routine MRI revealed he has a rare degenerative brain condition known as adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD.

The heart-breaking diagnosis just a few days before Christmas was a complete bombshell and blindsided his entire family. It has turned Franklin’s little world upside down in an instant in a way none of us could ever have imagined.

ALD is a rare inherited disease affecting just one in 20,000 boys and devastatingly there is no treatment and no cure. Despite initial hopes of slowing its progress, further tests confirmed the disease is already too far advanced. It has already caused Franklin to lose most of his vision and is now affecting his hearing as well as his balance, co-ordination and mobility meaning even simple day-to-day tasks like holding a pen or eating his dinner are becoming increasingly difficult for him to do unaided.

Over time, he will continue to deteriorate and his doctors have advised us that now is the time to start making memories. We don’t know how long we have got Franklin for, but we are determined to ensure he lives his absolute best life in the time we have left with him, however long or short that may be.

With the permission of his amazing parents, Lauren and Dean, we have set up this fundraising page to ensure Franklin gets to do all the things that make him happiest, cramming in as many joyful moments as we can.

So, whether that’s getting him a message from his favourite movie star Adam Sandler (anyone out there have a direct line to Hollywood?!), sending him on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, building him a man cave in the garden just like his Uncle Brad’s or simply getting him an endless supply of his favourite Costa Coffee milkshake, his every wish is our command and we are determined to realise as many of them as possible.

It will also help cover the cost of specialist equipment, resources and adaptations at home that he will inevitably need over the coming weeks, months and (hopefully) years to support his independence and maintain his quality of life for as long as possible.

The outpouring of love and support for Franklin has been overwhelming since his diagnosis. So many people have asked what they can do to help, and this is how. Any donation, however big or small, will help us make all of Franklin’s wishes come true, helping this remarkable little boy, who we all love so much, live a remarkable life.

From all of Franklin’s immediate family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.