Freddie’s story

On the 12th of July, what started as an ordinary summer’s afternoon changed everything for seven-year-old Freddie and his family.

Freddie, his parents Kimberley and Luke, and big sister, Charlie, were at a family friend’s house for a barbecue, just a mile away from home. The children were laughing and playing together on the trampoline, enjoying the sunshine, when suddenly Freddie fell awkwardly.

Freddie was briefly knocked unconscious. His sister Charlie stayed with him, holding his hand, while their friend rushed to get help. By the time his parents reached him, Freddie was awake but frightened. He couldn’t stand, his leg felt like “jelly” and he seemed confused. Kimberley and Luke rushed him to The Grange Hospital to be checked.

While there, Freddie’s condition seemed to improve and he was prepared for discharge. But as Freddie bent down to pick up a packet of crisps he had dropped, he became suddenly dizzy. Within seconds, the left side of Freddie’s body dropped. A team of doctors and nurses flooded the room and he was whisked away for scans. During his fall, Freddie had torn an artery in his neck causing a minor stroke. Right before their eyes, Freddie had just suffered a second, more serious one.

Freddie was blue lighted to the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales where he was placed on blood thinners. His family then faced an anxious wait to see whether he would need a stent. Thankfully, over the following weeks, the artery began to heal on its own.

The stroke had left Freddie unable to move his left side. He couldn’t sit up in bed on his own, and his mouth had drooped. For three days he couldn’t eat until doctors were sure it was safe for him to swallow. His parents feared their once healthy, energetic little boy might never walk again.

The first two weeks of Freddie’s recovery were critical. He was carefully monitored, as the risk of another clot was high. He began the hospital’s neuro rehabilitation programme, supported by a dedicated multidisciplinary team. Freddie had physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and hydrotherapy in the hospital’s specialist pool.

Freddie worked hard with his rehab team and soon he began to regain his strength. His leg and foot were the first to recover, and although his arm took longer, he kept on going.

By the time summer ended, Freddie had missed his entire six-week holiday, but he was home. No longer reliant on a wheelchair, he was back in the garden kicking a football with his dad. His balance is still a little shaky, and his fine motor skills are taking time to catch up, but every week brings new progress.

Kimberley says, “He’s getting better every day. The difference week by week is amazing. Freddie has always been a hundred miles an hour and we’re still forever telling him to slow down!”

Now seven, Freddie is preparing for a phased return to school. He’s excited to get back to cricket, football, and swimming, the sports he loves most.

Your donations made it possible for the charity to support Freddie and his family during their difficult summer by providing a counselling service and fun things like therapy dog visits to brighten up long hospital days. You help fund the play specialists that keep Freddie busy, the hydrotherapy pool that helped him regain his strength and some of the equipment that helped monitor Freddie’s progress and eventually get him home. Thank you.