Big-hearted Courier readers have been thanked for their part in raising thousands of pounds to help ensure a disabled girl can at last get a good night’s rest.
Little Genevieve Killen from Newport was born with a rare genetic disorder which leaves her unable to walk or talk. She routinely suffers from crippling bouts of epilepsy and has to be tube fed.
The five-year-old requires round-the-clock care from her parents and, since birth, has never been able to enjoy the kind of good night’s sleep most people take for granted.
However, all that could be set to change after Genevieve’s plight was highlighted in The Courier. Readers have now helped to raise more than £6000 which will be spent on a specialist bed which should help to ensure she can rest in comfort.
“Genevieve has slept really badly since birth,” dad Duncan explained. “She is awake every two hours and needs help settling back down. She is in a big cot at the moment but this is far too small for her and she is at risk of falling over the sides.”
Duncan said a new bed would transform the lives of not just his daughter but everyone in the Killen family.
“The bed Genevieve needs will give her more room to sleep and more room for us to see to her needs,” he continued. “She is still in nappies and we have to check her tummy peg for feeding.
“The height-adjustable mattress will also help as it means that we won’t have to be lifting her up and down as we are now.”
In desperation, the family turned to Newlife Foundation, the UK’s leading children’s disability charity, to ask for assistance in funding the £6279 bed. The charity helped the family to approach The Courier and they were soon inundated with offers of help.
Among the donors was the North Fife Rotary Club, which provided £2729 and the Newport Hotel, which gave £1000.
Duncan said the whole family had been bowled over by the level of support.
“Our family’s thanks go out to everyone who has donated a sum of money large or small to help Genevieve,” he said. “There have been so many donations from caring individuals, including our friends and neighbours.”
Sheila Brown of Newlife also paid tribute to those who have helped.
“It is always heartening to hear of communities coming together to help others and Newlife is grateful to everyone who has contributed to improving Genevieve’s quality of life,” she said. “This specialist bed will bring her greater comfort and safety at night along with peace of mind for her parents.”
Ms Brown said the help offered by local people was all the more remarkable given the pinch currently being felt by charities across the country.
“With cutbacks to budgets across all statutory services, it would seem that it is our most vulnerable children who are losing out,” she said. “Newlife is determined to help as many disabled and terminally ill children and their families as possible, and is increasingly calling on the support of volunteers and donors.
“Equipment can range from pain-relieving beds like the one for Genevieve to specialist car seats, from therapy aids to wheelchairs.”