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Joshua’s SDR Journey

Following my SDR surgery Just4Children need your help to raise money towards specialist equipment to help my strength, independence and mobility.

£41157
Total raised
68%
£60,000.00
Target
Donate Fundraise

1156 donations

Recent donations

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£20.00 from From BIS prize money donated back
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£20.00 from Anonymous
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£45.00 from Susan MacFarlane
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£6.00 from Anonymous
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£15.00 from Mandy Johnson
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£20.00 from Anonymous
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£24.00 from Alison Jones
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£8.00 from Lucy Abercrombie
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£10.00 from Anonymous
"Good luck everyone "
£10.00 from Anne Clilverd
"Good luck with the wonderful fundraising "
£10.00 from Paul Routledge
"Entry for Jeanie in Hound Puppy. + gift aid. "
£2.00 from Fiona Mycroft
"For charity items in the auction, three books total 25 GBP, could only donate in Aussie dollars, but gave a bit on top so should be ok. "
£27.89 from Erika Braas
"Show entries and well done 👏👏"
£HIDDEN from Anonymous
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£10.00 from Emily M
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£HIDDEN from Jan Wood
"For two of the auction items paid direct to Steph "
£27.00 from Steph M Pollock
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£20.00 from SallyWilson
"Payment for 2 items purchased through online auction. With all good wishes for a healthy outcome following your treatment Joshua "
£HIDDEN from Anonymous
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£15.00 from Lina Schuckardt
"Fleece whippet coat donated by dawn "
£25.00 from Anna
"Purchase Snood £5 Purchase collage picture £10"
£15.00 from Pauline Sidgwick
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£25.00 from Anonymous
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£10.00 from Melanie Firth
"Winning bid on collar"
£22.00 from Anonymous
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£50.00 from Robert Stubbs
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£4.00 from Kayleigh Cartner
"Entry for Bear pastoral puppy"
£2.00 from Anonymous
"Entries for Teo jacky "
£4.00 from Anonymous
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£10.00 from Anonymous
"Payment for the on-line dog show. Wishing you all the best is raising the required funds. x"
£14.00 from Anonymous
"For classes in the fun online show"
£10.00 from Jacky Hunt
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£10.00 from Mary Mckie
"Donated for 5 entered for Charlie Bear x"
£10.00 from Helen
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£20.00 from Eleanor and sue
"Outstanding £2 for one dog show entry which it wouldn't allow me to pay last night."
£2.00 from Emma Grant
"4 entries for the dog show"
£10.00 from Emma Grant
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£10.00 from Anonymous
"Entries for dog show"
£10.00 from Kath
"Good luck"
£10.00 from The Mochan hounds
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£20.00 from Anonymous
"Good luck Joshua! Hope you enjoy looking at some of the dog photos x"
£10.00 from Christine Bell
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£15.00 from Julie Edwards
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£10.00 from Alison
"Good luck Josh much love from Kelly and the hounds xx"
£10.00 from Kelly Batley
"Charlotte Mann fun dog show entries . "
£12.00 from Charlotte Mann
"Good Luck Joshua xx"
£4.00 from Ceilidh, Paul, Blake and Bradley
"Good luck on your journey, "
£10.00 from Dawn Mason
"Hope my photos of Mollie makes you smile Joshua and Edith. "
£10.00 from Karen Bell
"Brilliant 👏. "
£22.00 from Sharon Oakey

Hi, my name is Joshua, I’m 7 years old and live in Dumfriesshire with mum, dad and sister Edith. Just4Childen needs your help to raise money for a life changing operation called SDR to help my independence and mobility.

Joshua is 7 years old and lives near Canonbie in Dumfriesshire. He was born 2 months early weighing only 3lb 14oz. At 1 year old he was sent for an MRI scan because he wasn’t reaching milestones. This revealed he had Cerebral Palsy and as time went on we learnt the type of CP was Diplegic – affecting Joshua’s legs. 

Joshua has a love of life and is always smiling and cracking jokes. Physiotherapy and stretching are daily in his life. He goes through such a lot, from early morning stretches and muscle strengthening exercises before school, and all repeated throughout the day. Occasionally Joshua can wake in the night distressed and upset with extremely painful cramp in his leg muscles. This is awful for us all. 


We need to raise £21,000 for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery that aims to reduce spasticity in the lower limbs. SDR is effective in treating spasticity by cutting the nerve rootlets in the spinal canal that are sending abnormal signals to the muscles. SDR intends to improve quality of life and/or mobility in children affected by it. 

It has been a long process in getting to this stage, starting when Joshua was only 2 years old. Unfortunately, after many tests, assessments and meetings over the years, it was decided that Joshua did not fit the strict criteria for SDR in Scotland. We didn’t let that stop us, we went for a 2nd opinion at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where they told us it was a ‘no brainer’ and they would perform the life changing operation on Joshua! But with us living in Scotland we do not qualify under the NHS England’s criteria and therefore must fund the operation ourselves.


Further funds would be used for the extremely important post op period, of which a minimum of two years intense physio is needed. Specialist equipment could be required by Joshua in the coming years too.
We believe SDR would give Joshua the best quality of life possible.

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