“Public support has meant the world to us" say family of Dunstable boy, 5, who suffered cardiac arrest and stroke as £17k is raised to help his recovery
The mother of a Dunstable boy who suffered a cardiac arrest and stroke has given a heartfelt thanks to the public after more than £17,000 was raised to aid her son's recovery.
Little Harrison Blanchflower was just three-years-old when he suffered a cardiac arrest last year after catching the common childhood condition, slap cheek.
Tragedy struck again when he suffered a stroke after being put on a life support system.
He was left unable to walk or talk and relying on medication and a feeding tube for survival.
After an intense year of rehabilitation, Harrison returned home with his family who were determined to provide the best environment for him to continue his rehabilitation.
At the hospital, they saw the huge impact that soft play and sensory stimulation had in aiding Harrison’s recovery and decided they needed a space to facilitate that at home.
His mother, Alexandra, started a GoFundMe page to raise money for a shed big enough for all of Harrison’s soft play, sensory and mobility equipment. The fundraiser had a £1,000 target but was quickly surpassed – by some distance – after Harrison’s story went viral on social media.
Harrison’s Gofundme campaign has now reached over £17,400 in donations.
Alexandra said: “Public support has meant the world to us. The video I posted about Harrison’s play room going viral and shared everywhere, and then the go fund me donations was just so overwhelming. We can’t thank everyone enough.
“The funding has helped to make his dream soft play/sensory room possible. It’s something we could have only wished for, and it has come true thanks to every donor and person who’s shared Harrison’s story.”
Alexandra says the family have not received any help from the government and were unsuccessful when applying for support through a charity.
She added: “There are so many children in need of help and support, they can’t help everyone unfortunately. So as parents we try our hardest to give Harrison the best possible and fundraising has made that a reality.
“I do think that it should be mandatory that children with disabilities have access to funds that can help with rehabilitation. They deserve to have a fun-filled life where they can be made to feel the same as any other child.”
Harrison’s journey continues. His recovery isn’t over, but he’s making strong progress and has even returned back to school.
Alexandra said: “He continues to fight everyday just for the simple things that me and you take for granted. He’s now gone back to school and loves it!”
“Harrison is just starting to get back into the community. And the soft play room will help him continue to thrive and continue to prove to everyone who said he couldn’t do it that ‘I am a strong boy and what happened to me isn’t going to define my life’.”
A fundraising event is being held for Harrison on October 11th at the Coop Club in Luton for additional funding for his soft play room.