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How your money helps

Bringing up a severely disabled child is extremely difficult. A family’s physical, emotional and financial resource can drain away very quickly. It costs three times as much to bring up a disabled child, so money for many families is particularly tight. That is why families value the financial support from the Family Fund so highly.

With your help through shopping with Family Fund extra, sending us a donation or spreading the word, we can help even more families and take a further step in transforming the lives of many more thousands of disabled children and their families.

The help we receive from our supporters and members is invaluable and allows a real difference to be made to the thousands of disabled children and young people across the UK.

Your donations and contributions will help Family Fund provide families with the things they say they need the most – a washing machine, bedding, clothing, specialised bikes, computers or a few days away – we make a real difference to their lives.
 

Read more about how your money helps

Famillies we help

Maisie's Story

"When Maisie was born eight years ago with Down's syndrome, Sarah her mother had to give up her job as a hotel manager. Life is tough for the family although Maisie is in mainstream education, she sometimes hits other children and Sarah often goes to school to sort out problems. Maisie's immune system is quite low so she is always getting colds and ear infections and going to the doctors every few weeks. There are also regular trips to hospital to test her ears and eyes.  The Family Fund has helped the family for six years now with days out at the seaside and holidays on the Trent and Mersey canal. " Maisie absolutely adores it. She can swim a short distance and always wears a life jacket, so she can enjoy life on the water as much as everyone else. Without the Family Fund's help we could never afford a holiday. They have also replaced a fridge and a tumble dryer for us, within a short period of the items breaking down. It's practical, efficient help you can call on"

Rhys's Story

"The Family Fund is different. We listen to what families tell us they need most and, however unusual the request, if a good case is made, we try to help. So when single mother Nichola from South Wales asked for a dog for her son Rhys, we pricked up our ears. Nichola explained that Rhys has dyspraxia, learning difficulties and low muscle tone. Although he is eight his capacity to understand is that of a four to five-year-old. He goes to mainstream school, where he gets 20 hours of one-to-one teaching a week, but he doesn't have a best friend and finds it hard to form relationships. Having a dog would help Rhys in several ways. It  would give him something to care for and relate to and also develop his sense of responsibility. Family Fund agreed and provided funding to buy Smirnoff, a boxer puppy. "Since Smirnoff arrived, she's been inseparable from Rhys. She goes everywhere with him and even sleeps on his bed. Having Smirnoff encourages Rhys to go out for walks with the dog. That helps him to meet people and gives him something to talk to them about. Its been brilliant for Rhys because now he's got focus for his affection, it's helping him to grow up much faster"