This is our beautiful daughter Poppy.

Poppy was born in 2010 and suffered severe brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen supply to the brain during her traumatic birth. As a result of this, our little girl is severely disabled.

She is registered blind, epileptic, has a learning disability, and quadriplegic cerebral palsy, needing full trunk support. Her condition is classed as life-limiting. Cerebral palsy affects 1 in 400 live births in the UK; however, Poppy is at the most severe end of the spectrum.

To date, Poppy continues to impress doctors with her progress. It was originally thought that, due to the extensive brain damage she incurred during birth, she might be in a persistent coma. Poppy has overcome massive hurdles, shows alertness, and is responsive to her environment.

Our not-so-little girl will, however, face further difficulties as she grows, especially now she is progressing into the teenage years. This includes stiff muscle tone in both her arms and legs, making normal movements difficult and painful.

Her head and trunk stability have improved slightly with the intensive physiotherapy we do; however, she is still not able to sit independently without a spinal brace and support. She has managed to go on a small roller coaster and the fair ghost train with an adult supporting her, which we never thought she would be able to do, and she absolutely loved it—just being able to experience being a child.

Poppy enjoys different sensory experiences, and we try to make every day count for her. She has even been surfing, an experience she just loved! Poppy is able to smile when she is happy and has even started to giggle on occasions, but she is unable to speak or communicate through signing due to her condition. She is currently learning to use the eye-gazing equipment we have previously fundraised for, and thank you so much for everyone’s generosity. It has given her the best chance to be able to communicate in the future. She loves playing games on it and has even managed to navigate to YouTube when I am not looking!

We are fundraising for specialist equipment and therapies that will give Poppy the best opportunity to maximise her potential and improve her quality of life. We have a real chance to make a difference to Poppy’s functional outcome, but she needs access to the right interventions and equipment.

Poppy is now 13 years old, which I can’t quite believe as her life expectancy at the max was one year, but she is still here being amazing and cheeky.

The item we are fundraising for is an Innowalk machine which costs £26,500. This is a walking/standing/cycling machine which will benefit Poppy by improving her bone density, reduce the pain in her limbs especially her hips, help with reducing contractures in her limbs, help with her renal function, improve her circulation, help with her respiratory function, help with her bowels, and also tire her out so she actually might sleep of us, the list of benefits for Poppy goes on.

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.