‘Franci’s Friends’ fundraisers for Bridgend boy who wasn’t expected to survive

Significant Health Incident
Francis Read was resuscitated by his grandmother Karen Head, now 66, a retired nurse, before being rushed to hospital.

Following a few days in intensive care, his life support was switched off and he was not expected to react well. However, he defied the odds and nine months later was able to go home. He lives with Dad, Morgan Read, 32, Grandma Karen and Grandpa Craig Read, 59, who runs a rejoining centre for the Royal Navy.

Francis's Medical Diagnoses 
Craig said: ‘Francis, diagnosed with severe Cerebral Palsy (level 5), faces numerous challenges: his right hip has never been in its socket, he battles 75-degree Scoliosis, and he relies on a stomach tube for feeding. Despite being registered blind, he retains some close-up vision. Daily, he wears a body brace and various splints to manage joint issues. Francis is a full-time wheelchair user and non-verbal, but finds joy in singing along to music during his daily physio sessions, often continuing into the night.’

Fundraising for a Hydrotherapy Pool and Therapy Centre
For medical reasons there are no plans to carry out surgery, so the only way to make Francis more comfortable is through massage and hydrotherapy. For this reason the family are raising funds to install a hydrotherapy pool at home.

Craig added: ‘His face lights up as soon as he’s in the water. But he only gets very limited opportunities for hydrotherapy at school, plus once a week at another facility where he can be in the water for 20 minutes, but it involves a four hour round trip.’

‘If we had one at home, it would greatly improve his quality of life, help ease his pain and quite possibly also improve his strength and movement with the right exercises.’

Bringing joy to therapy sessions
‘One of Francis’ other biggest joys is music and although he is non-verbal, he enjoys singing along to music in his own way, he has his daily physio and stretches from us to tunes like YMCA and I will walk 500 miles, but adores the Royal Marine Band tunes too and we take him to their concerts whenever we can.

‘Francis will often still be singing to himself many hours after going to bed, and when we say goodnight and I love you he will respond with the only two consistent sounds he has of “wuv wuv”- this is him telling us he loves us too.’

Fundraising events planned for Hydrotherapy Pool
The family is entering a ‘Franci’s Friends’ team into a charity Rugby Sevens tournament on June 14 at Bryncethin Rugby Club, and on the same day, Francis’ uncle Huw Davies-Read, 41, a painter and decorator who also lives in Bridgend, will be taking on a skydive at in Swansea and is hoping to raise £1,000.

Craig added: ‘Our friends, family and community have already been incredibly supportive and we are so grateful, but still have a long way to go and every penny counts. Francis has come such a long way and has a lot of deal with day to day, like any family we simply want him to have the best life possible.’

Support from Children's Charity, Tree of Hope
The family is being supported by children’s charity Tree of Hope, which helps families raise money for children and young people like Francis for medical treatments and healthcare services not freely available to them through the NHS and social care. The charity provides fundraising guidance, campaign development, financial management, charity registration and emotional support from the Family Support team. Families like Francis’s benefit from gift aid, corporate support while also providing donor reassurance.

To learn more about Francis or to donate to his fund visit  https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/get-involved/childrens-campaigns/francis-read/

You can also sponsor Huw’s skydive at https://www.justgiving.com/page/huw-read-1