Thank You for Visiting Charlotte’s JustGiving Page

Charlotte's Fund aims to raise £80,000. So far, through Charlotte's GoFundMe page, we have already raised over £23,000, leaving just under £57,000 to go—WOW! Thank you so much to all the incredibly kind people who have helped us reach this amount so far. Additionally, a substantial sum raised through various fundraising events over the past few months will be added to Charlotte’s new JustGiving page.

We’ve transitioned from GoFundMe to JustGiving to benefit from the valued support of the charity Tree of Hope, which now provides us with a registered charity number. However, Charlotte's original GoFundMe account is still active, and any donations made there will continue to be accounted for.

For more updates, you can also:

Watch Charlotte's short video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/G5pcPwQVx5o (copy and paste the link into your browser).

Follow her journey on Facebook: search for charlottesfundhelpmewalk.

Visit her Instagram: @charlottesfund.

Why We Need to Raise Money

To give Charlotte the best possible chance to walk, we need to raise enough funds for her to travel from the UK to the USA for two procedures:

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR)

Tendon Lengthening Surgery

Both will be performed by Dr. Park at St. Louis Children's Hospital, Missouri. Following these procedures, Charlotte will require intensive daily physiotherapy and medical equipment, such as bespoke splints. The entire process, including surgery, recovery, and therapy, will take about four weeks in the USA.

When Charlotte returns home, she will need ongoing daily physiotherapy. These surgeries will not only significantly improve her quality of life but will also eliminate the spasticity in her legs and the daily pain caused by tight muscles. Remarkably, the SDR surgery is known to improve head control, vocal skills, and even continence issues.

Unfortunately, this type of SDR treatment is not available in the UK for children like Charlotte with severe complex Cerebral Palsy.

About Charlotte’s Condition

Charlotte has severe Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy (mixed type), which affects her entire body and limbs. In addition, she has:

Severe Vision Impairment

Epilepsy

Hydrocephalus (excess fluid pressure in her brain), which is managed with a shunt.

Severe Reflux Disease, for which she underwent a life-saving operation called Total Gastric Dissociation, similar to a gastric bypass.

She is fed via a stomach tube, as her stomach no longer processes food in the usual way.

Charlotte Today

Charlotte cannot sit or walk unaided due to the tightness in her muscles. However, with assistance, she can stand, take steps, and walk short distances using a walking frame. She shows great potential to walk, as she moves effortlessly in her school walker and enjoys races with her friends in “Roamer Club.”

Charlotte loves being active! She enjoys playing with her brothers on her adapted trike and is becoming quite a skilled rider. Despite her progress, her tight muscles prevent her from further improving her mobility.

More About Charlotte

Charlotte’s determination is awe-inspiring. Against all odds, she faces life with the most beautiful smile that melts hearts. She has a playful sense of humor and, although she only speaks around 20 words, she understands everything and communicates in her own special way.

She was born prematurely at 31 weeks via emergency C-section after a severe infection in her placenta and waters caused irreparable damage to her brain. This led to extensive cysts, a major brain bleed, and severe complications. Charlotte spent her first three months in the Neonatal Ward, fighting for her life. Over the years, she has battled sepsis, meningococcal infections, severe lung infections, and more.

Today, Charlotte is a true fighter! She loves her walker, music (especially “Let It Go” from Frozen), and dancing at discos. Incredibly, she even starred in an episode of CBeebies’ Something Special and had the time of her life!

Charlotte has three boisterous brothers who adore her, but her disabilities often limit her ability to fully join in on their adventures. Yet, nothing stops Charlotte from smiling and giving her best every day.

How You Can Help

Our target of £80,000 is a significant amount, so here’s a breakdown of the costs:

SDR Surgery: £54,000–£56,000

Tendon Lengthening Surgery: £12,000

Splints, casts, and therapy equipment: £6,000

Intensive physiotherapy in the USA (3–4 weeks): £250 per session

Ongoing physiotherapy in the UK after returning home

Return flights for Charlotte and her family

High-rate travel insurance (due to Charlotte’s medical needs)

Outpatient accommodation for therapy in the USA

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about Charlotte. We hope you’ll join our efforts to help her achieve a pain-free and independent future.

Big smiles, a big kiss, and lots of love from Charlotte and her family XXX

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects. If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.