Fundraising for Rico

Thank you for visiting Rico's fundraising page.

We are raising funds to pay for life-changing therapies and treatments to address the damage to Rico's brain discovered at birth.

Rico was born full term in August 2023 after a normal pregnancy. I noticed reduced kicking, and upon being checked at the hospital, they confirmed he was suffering from a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. The cause is still unknown. He was born not breathing and needed 6 minutes of resuscitation. Following a devastating brain scan, we were told to say goodbye as the damage was too severe, and Rico was not expected to survive. Life support was turned off.

However, Rico soon started breathing, feeding, and moving independently. We brought him home after 3 weeks, where we were told to wait and see how his development progressed. The NHS's approach is to let problems happen and treat them as they arise. However, brain research has proven that early intervention is crucial in the first months of life, and neuroplasticity (the brain's ability to rewire itself and work around existing damage by creating new neural connections) has the most potential in the first couple of years. But it must happen early, and one of the most efficient ways is through alternative therapies.

The NHS has provided us with basic assessments and therapies, but there is so much more available to help Rico with his brain development. For the first year, we funded both alternative therapies and essential treatments ourselves (physiotherapy, cranial osteopathy, ABM therapy, ophthalmology, chiropractor, ENT), but the funds are now running out. So, we are planning to raise funds in any way we can to pay for more physiotherapy and help Rico’s brain rewire itself. He isn’t yet rolling or crawling, but he has come so far already and seems to fight every hurdle presented to him.

Rico has already been diagnosed with epilepsy, global developmental delay, and mild hearing loss. All we want to do is give him the best chance possible to learn, improve, and reach his potential. His seizures are under control, his vision and hearing seem to be developing, and he is 100% orally fed and being weaned onto solids slowly. There are so many positives! We hope there will be more.

Thank you so much for reading. Rico is so loved at home by Mummy, Daddy, and big brother Rafa, and we appreciate the support so far from all our family, friends, and loved ones.

7.5% of all donations to Tree of Hope in relation to this appeal will be allocated to the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope to cover our core operating costs.

If we raise insufficient funds, or surplus funds, then the funds will be used, if appropriate, to fund support for our child’s needs in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objects. If in those circumstances we are unable to use all or part of the funds for the benefit of our child in accordance with Tree of Hope’s charitable objectives, then any funds that cannot be used will be transferred to be used for the general charitable purposes of Tree of Hope.