Latest Newlife News

SAFE SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT NEEDED FOR CEDHLA

A nine-year-old girl with a rare form of epilepsy urgently needs your readers’ help so she can sleep in safety.

Cedhla Connolly, from Kirkdale in Liverpool, has recently been diagnosed with Lennox Gastaut Syndrome; she experiences multiple types of seizures which can be difficult to control.

Cedhla has a special bed at home so her family can sleep at night confident she can’t hurt herself on any hard surfaces. But this equipment isn’t portable, so overnight stays away from home are out of the question. Mum Sheila Connolly said: “We have a lot of family and friends in Ireland, but we aren’t able to visit them because we can’t guarantee Cedhla’s safety if she has a seizure in the middle of the night. A portable safety bed would make a huge difference to us.”

However, this equipment costs £2,995 and local statutory services are unable to help as they have already provided a bed for home use. So the family turned to Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children for help. Newlife has supported 630 children across Merseyside, with equipment totalling £585,189.

Sheila said: “In the past we have put a mattress in a dome tent for Cedhla, so she is in a soft environment, but she has now snapped all the bars. A special travel bed is our only hope.”

She added: “Cedhla’s condition is an inverted duplication of Chromosome 15 – it’s so rare and it would be really helpful for us to hear from other families whose children have this.”

With demand for equipment at an all-time high (applications to Newlife have risen by 64 per cent in the last five years) the charity needs public support more than ever before.

We need donors and fundraisers who want to really make a difference. To find out how you can support Cedhla go to www.newlifecharity.co.uk/merseyside and click on the Donate button next to her story. Alternatively, contact the Newlife County Liaison Team on 01543 431 444, email local@newlifecharity.co.uk.

Newlife guarantees that 100 per cent of monies donated or fundraised on Merseyside will be used to specifically help children with disabilities and terminal illness in the area. Any money raised surplus to requirements for Cedhla will be used to help other local children.

Pictured: Cedhla Connolly

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