Annabelle Foakes

My twin girls Annabelle and Amelia entered the world in September 2017 at just 24 weeks gestation weighing 644 grams and 630 grams, less than a bag of sugar! Amelia sadly passed away after just 54 days with us but Annabelle had other ideas. After a 7 month stay in intensive care full of ups and downs Annabelle finally came home in March 2018. As a result of being ventilated for 14 weeks she was diagnosed with chronic lung disease and was fed via a nasal gastric tube as she did not have a safe swallow. We were overjoyed at having her little girl home and soon got to grips with home oxygen and tube feeds.

However that June she started to show severe delays in her development and, after various tests, she was finally diagnosed with dystonic Cerebral Palsy. This condition means she is not yet able to hold up her head, crawl, walk, stand or play like other children her age. Despite this, she never fails to amaze and warm the hearts of those she encounters. She has the most infectious giggle and faces her significant challenges with a huge smile on her face! 

Due to her physical disabilities Annabelle needs many hours of therapy and support to help her reach her fullest potential. An example of this is ABMNM (Anat Baniel Method Nero Movement). The changes in her since starting this method have been incredible. She is now off home oxygen, feeds without the use of a tube, has started to make sounds and is able to roll onto her tummy.  I cannot put into words the joy it brings us to finally see our daughter move and discover herself, her body and the world around her. For Annabelle to continue to fully benefit from ABMNM long term it needs to be done monthly in intensive blocks that cost on average £2000 a month. This is where we need your help, funding for our little girl.

So, if you can please donate right here, it’s an easy 2 minute process. All money raised will go directly to support Annabelle and should we exceed the target amount (or if the funds raised cannot be used for any other reason) the remainder will go to Tree of Hope to assist other sick children.

Thank you for reading Annabelle’s story,