Charity launches urgent fundraising appeal for 14-year-old Scarborough Athletic 'super fan'

Charlie Hall, from Scarborough, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, leaving him with complex needs.

In 2021, Charlie underwent orthopaedic surgery to help improve his range of movement and prevent his hips from dislocating, and try to relieve some of the pain and discomfort he experiences when he has spasms in his legs and lower back.

Charlie was given a seating system by the NHS to help manage his postural needs and cater for functional activities such as mealtimes and educational activities. However, it offers little comfort and the P-Pod chair he has been using is no longer big enough for him.

His mum, Olivia Stirling says: “Charlie’s had a really difficult journey. He was born eight weeks prematurely along with his twin brother, Evan, weighing just four pounds four ounces.

“The boys had Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), and the doctors decided that they would need to be delivered early to give them a greater chance of survival.”

TTTS affects identical twins who share a placenta and results in an imbalanced blood flow, leaving one baby with a greater blood volume than the other, which affects their growth and development in the womb.

Olivia continues: “Charlie was actually the bigger twin – known as the donor in TTTS twins – he was receiving more of the blood, and seemed to be developing well, but Evan was just two pounds four ounces when he was born.

“Both boys spent a lot of time in intensive care and several weeks in the neonatal unit, and despite being the bigger twin, Charlie was very poorly.

At just seven months old Charlie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and Olivia says “our world imploded.”

Initially it was not clear what Charlie’s long-term needs would be. The family had to take each day as it came, but it soon became apparent that Charlie’s needs were very complex.

Olivia says: “Charlie is quadriplegic, meaning all four of Charlie’s limbs are affected, so there’s very little he can do for himself and because of the spasms and stiffness caused by the cerebral palsy he’s often in pain and discomfort.

“Despite all that though, he’s such a bright, happy and sociable boy. He understands everything and speaks well, though his speech can be affected by his medication.”

Charlie’s family have to carefully manage Charlie’s physical needs to help ease tightness and stiffness throughout his body.This means that he has a strict 24-hour postural management plan and without the P-Pod chair, Charlie’s comfortable options are very limited.

His mum describes Charlie as a “Scarborough Athletic super-fan”, and said “Charlie absolutely loves football and music, he needs constant entertainment. Given the chance he’s the sort of boy who would always be on the go.

“Unfortunately, those things aren’t an option for Charlie.”

Children Today has pledged £1,000 towards the cost of the seating system, but the family still needs to raise a further £3,043 to get this much-needed equipment.

Olivia adds: “I feel we owe it to Charlie to fight to give him the best possible quality of life.

“Charlie is such a ‘people person’ and this chair would mean he can be with us all as a family, comfortably and safely.

“Unfortunately though these things come with a huge price tag, which is why we turned to Children Today for help.”

To make a donation to help Charlie get this life-changing seating system visit: www.childrentoday.org.uk/helpcharlie.

Any funds raised over and above what we need to provide this equipment will go towards helping fund vitally important equipment for other children and young adults with a disability or life-limiting condition.