On 31st May 2024, our beautiful nine-year-old daughter Scarlett collapsed during gymnastics after suffering a devastating brain haemorrhage caused by a ruptured Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM).

In an instant, our world fell apart.

Scarlett underwent two life-saving brain surgeries and was left paralysed down her left side. She had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat and do the simplest things we all take for granted.

Since that day, Scarlett has endured nine operations, devastating skull infections, skin grafts and almost two years in and out of hospital. She has been left with left-sided hemiplegia, hemiplegic cerebral palsy and foot drop.

Heartbreakingly, her medical journey is still far from over. Part of her AVM remains, and she faces further treatment with Gamma Knife in December 2026.

But the little girl who has been through so much is still fighting to get her life back.

Scarlett has made incredible progress, but please don't mistake that for recovery.

She can walk, but relies on splints and struggles with balance, weakness and exhaustion. Her left arm and hand remain severely affected, making even the simplest everyday tasks a challenge.

Nothing comes easily for Scarlett anymore, and there is still so much she cannot do.

Why We Need Your Help

Sadly, the NHS rehabilitation available to Scarlett is extremely limited and nowhere near enough to meet her ongoing needs.

Specialist neurological rehabilitation at Neurokinex is vital to Scarlett's ongoing recovery.

Scarlett attends weekly sessions using specialist equipment and targeted therapies to work on both her upper and lower limbs. This includes electrical stimulation therapy to help activate weakened muscles, alongside intensive exercises to improve her strength, movement, balance and independence.

Each session involves a three-hour round trip and costs us £200 a week. That's over £10,000 every year, before we've even paid for travel.

This isn't a short-term commitment. Consistent rehabilitation gives Scarlett the best possible chance of further recovery.

Alongside her weekly rehabilitation, our hope is to fund one specialist intensive therapy programme each year, giving Scarlett additional opportunities to improve her abilities.

For 2027, we have chosen Swim Lab International, an intensive rehabilitation programme combining specialist water-based and land-based therapies to help improve movement, strength and coordination.

Thanks to incredibly generous donations and by putting as much of our own money towards her rehabilitation as possible, we've managed to keep Scarlett's therapy going.

But those funds are now running out.

It's heartbreaking to think we may have to stop Scarlett's rehabilitation because we can no longer afford it, especially when she's still making progress and has so much more potential.

What Your Donations Will Fund

Our initial fundraising target is £15,400, which will help provide:

• £10,400 – One year of specialist neurological rehabilitation at Neurokinex.

• £5,000 – Scarlett's 2027 intensive rehabilitation programme at Swim Lab International, including travel.

Every £10,000 raised could fund almost an entire year of Scarlett's weekly rehabilitation at Neurokinex.

If we're fortunate enough to exceed our target, we'd love to explore Hippotherapy for Scarlett, a specialist therapy that uses the rhythmic movement of a horse to help improve balance, posture, coordination and movement.

Every donation will help us give Scarlett more opportunities to work towards greater independence and a better quality of life.

Please Help Scarlett Keep Moving Forward

Scarlett hasn't given up on her recovery, and we don't want to give up on her.

We've done everything we can to get her this far, but now we need your help.

Please help us give Scarlett the chance to see just how much further she can go.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for supporting our little girl.

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.