Matthew ODOHERTY

Matthew 's Hope for Penelope

Fundraising for Just4Children
£55
raised
Hope for Penelope, 30 September 2021
Team: Team Matt
Just4Children are fundraising to provide the best medical care and support for Penelope, 21 months from Bolton, to give her the best quality of life.

Story

Just4Children are fundraising to enable Penelope aged 21 months from Bolton to receive the best medical care and support in order to improve her mobility and give her the best quality of life.



Story

We want to tell you all about our Penelope Booth. She was born New Years Eve 2019 - our perfect princess P, born to stand out from the crowd, always happy, cheeky and full of sass!


On the 19th July, our world turned upside down when Penelope had an accident. She wandered into the garden and was found in the paddling pool.


She was placed in a coma in intensive care at Manchester Children's hospital and later moved to the neurological ward where she is now being treated for severe brain injury.


Although we can see progress, outsiders may struggle to spot much. Shes unable to sit, speak, eat and the doctors cant tell us that she ever will.


Weve been in hospital for over 9 weeks now and we've spent everyday desperately searching for the best ways to help her. There are stories about children in Penelope's position improving massively and were praying for P to be one of them.


Grant and I are expecting a baby in late October, which could be seen as terrible timing but there's a trial in America which uses stem cells from a sibling's umbilical cord as a treatment for brain injury - it feels like this is meant to be, but it's expensive, at least £10,000, plus the costs of getting the cells and storing them. There is a waiting list but the doctors agree Penelope meets the criteria.


There is also hyperbaric oxygen therapy which we want to start and ideally buy our own chamber. Again, this is costly at around £15,000. Penelope would also benefit massively from daily therapy to get her basic skills to return.


We never thought we'd be here but we want to thank everyone who has supported us so far. We've added up all potential therapies, physio and rehab sessions, specialist equipment and home adjustments, and it's a staggering amount. We want to give P the best chance at reaching her potential and so, while fundraising like this makes us uncomfortable, we felt that we needed to try it.


Thank you so much and please keep Princess P in your thoughts and prayers.


Katie, Grant & George 



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About the campaign

Just4Children are fundraising to provide the best medical care and support for Penelope, 21 months from Bolton, to give her the best quality of life.

About the charity

Just4Children

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1164473
Just4Children is passionate about the relief of sickness & preservation of good physical & mental health of children & young people under 25 years resident in the United Kingdom & Ireland by providing & assisting in the provision of services & grants to enable them to obtain their medical needs.

Donation summary

Total raised
£55.00
+ £6.25 Gift Aid
Online donations
£55.00
Offline donations
£0.00

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