This little boy is going to have the best birthday of his life… Because of you!
Little Kai and Maria have had a tough year together…
By Anisa Easterbrook
Maria, 25, is the doting mother of Kai. A couple of months ago something happened which turned their world upside down.
Last Christmas Eve, Maria went out to commemorate a friend of hers who had recently passed away. She had visited the grave to put some flowers down and afterwards, she joined a few others for drinks. But not too long after, Maria started feeling unwell. Her friend took her home so she could sleep, but the next day no one could wake Maria up.
She was rushed to hospital where they discovered she had suffered a stroke and damaged her brainstem.
The brainstem is the part of the brain which connects the cerebrum to the spinal cord, turning thought into action. As this had been damaged, Maria became completely paralysed. With all hope seemingly lost, the decision was made to turn off her life-support machines, just 4 days after arriving in hospital.
But Maria’s mother, Helen told JustGiving that Maria has always been a “little fighter”. She miraculously started breathing by herself and showing progress. Hospital staff, family and friends are now working on helping Maria to move again. Currently she can only communicate with her eyes by blinking and using an eyegaze tablet.
Whilst Maria is slowly recovering, being separated from her son Kai has been heartbreaking for the family. Speaking about their incredibly strong bond, Maria’s mother Helen says:
“I never thought I’d become a grandmother because I didn’t think she had a maternal bone in her body but they are just so brilliant together. And he’s so like his mum as well. He looks just like his mum!”
Helen has spent her life as a carer for the elderly, and never thought she’d be caring for Maria:
“I just never expected to be looking after my 25-year-old daughter in the same way. It’s just such an awful thing to have happened”
Whilst communicating with Maria one day in hospital, her best friend Becky noticed she got really emotional at the thought of missing her son’s birthday.
That is when Becky came up with the idea of raising money to buy Kai all of his favourite things and give him the best birthday ever with his mum! Becky stayed in hospital with Maria to find out what presents she’d want to get Kai for his 4th birthday, and then set up a crowdfunding page on JustGiving.
Within days the page reached it’s target of £200 and raised £270! It turns out Kai is dinosaur mad! He knows all of the different names and types of dinosaurs, plus the fact that Gran’s favourite is the Brontosaurus and Grandad’s is the T-Rex. Kai’s gran admits she now has “more dinosaurs in her house than Jurassic Park!”
With the money raised from the crowdfunding page, Kai will now be able to go and see his Mum in hospital and open his presents in front of her on his birthday.
He’s going to receive his very own Nintendo to play Mario Kart on with his friends — and will also be getting a dinosaur themed backpack (along with matching stationary) for his first day at school in September.
The JustGiving community who have come together to make this happen will truly make a deserving mother and little boy very happy this August.
To find out more or to donate to Kai’s birthday bash, click here: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/ourlittlefighter
