A fundraising drive has been launched to help keep a severely brain damaged boy at home with his family in Fife.
Little Noah Hay was born with disabilities and will never be able to see, talk or move on his own, meaning he will require his own specially-converted room and various other specialist disability aids such as feeding chairs, wheelchairs and hoists.
His stepmother Helen Lewis has started a fundraising campaign to help two-year-old Noah stay with his dad Robert and their family, rather than having to go into residential care miles away.
Helen revealed the family is in the process of moving from Leven to a suitable new-build house in Springfield with Campion Homes agreeing to carry out all internal and electrical works required for free.
However, that still leaves the cost of vital equipment for Noah and its installation to pay for, hence the launch of a new ‘Noah’s Fund’ crowdfunding page.
Helen said: “Doctors didn’t believe he would live, and yet this strong little boy is showing the world what he is made of.
“Noah can’t speak or see or walk, he will always need to be fed soft foods and he takes any kind of illness badly.
“However, despite all this he is a happy little boy who enjoys the simple things in life, such as a cuddle or a warm bath.
“So we’re now trying to raise money to buy the things that Noah will need to allow him to stay at home with his family, including his two brothers, and also to ensure that his brothers have as normal a life as possible.
“Noah will require disability aids such as feeding chairs and wheelchairs, he will need a room converted to be his bedroom on the ground floor with a wet room attached, and in order to do this we will need to install hoists and specialist equipment for his bathing and sleeping.
“We may also be required, as he gets older, to pay for carers to help with Noah’s care in order to allow for us to go to work, and for his brothers to have activities of their own they can participate in.
“We are hoping to be able to install these aids over the next two years for Noah, and roughly estimate the cost of this will be about £20,000.
“There won’t be any financial aid towards this for Noah’s daddy to do the work, which is why we are looking to raise some of the funds to help with this cost.”
As well as the crowdfunding page online, the family is planning a series of other fundraising events over the coming months.
Helen said: “Without having this Noah would not be able to stay with us, his dad would be devastated, as would Noah as he recognises his dad’s voice and his face lights up.
“We have Noah 50% of the time so we could not imagine being able to live without him being able to stay with us and his brothers.”
Anyone wishing to support the cause can do so here.
