Just4Children are fundraising to provide Rome with vital therapies to bring him one step closer to standing, walking, and living life to the fullest.
Meet Rome, a bright, brave, and beautiful baby boy from Reading, Berkshire. From the moment he entered this world, Rome has been a fighter. Rome was born not breathing, with no heartbeat. He needed extensive resuscitation. It took several minutes to get his heart beating and it took 22 minutes for Rome to take his first breath.
After 45 minutes of intensive efforts, doctors finally stabilised him enough to be transferred to the NICU. Rome was critically ill, battling sepsis, and yet, by some miracle, he extubated himself upon arrival and began breathing room air on his own.
Soon after being admitted to the NICU, he was also diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis, requiring urgent and aggressive antibiotic treatment. The following two weeks were the hardest we’ve ever endured.
He was diagnosed with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). An MRI revealed moderate brain damage affecting several areas responsible mostly for motor control. We were told Rome would likely develop cerebral palsy. The doctors prepared us for the possibility that he might never smile, laugh, crawl, talk, walk, or eat on his own. He suffered seizures and was placed on strong anti-seizure medication.
After 15 days in the NICU, on May 22nd, Rome came home. Despite everything, he had made incredible progress – he was breastfeeding well, slowly weaned off the strongest seizure medications, and showing signs of resilience that amazed even his doctors.
Since then, the journey has been so incredibly tough, but Rome has continued to defy expectations. By 8 months old he was off all seizure medications. At 15-months-old he began to sit unaided. At 22-months-old he received his official diagnosis of Quadriplegic Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy with a GMFCS level of 2. He is delayed in some areas, but he is exceeding expectations in so many ways – he smiles, laughs, rolls, army crawls, sits unassisted, tries to pull to stand, walks (and tries to run) in his walker, eats lots of food (and loves it), and is working hard on moving in and out of different positions! He is such a character, so full of joy and determination.
Why we need your help
To give Rome the best possible chance at an independent and fulfilling life, he needs around £8,000 a year for vital therapy.
While we are grateful for NHS support, sessions are limited – and early intervention is critical. The first few years of life are when the brain has the greatest ability to adapt and form new connections (neuroplasticity). This window won’t last forever. The more access Rome has to high-quality therapy now, the better his chances of developing key motor skills and independence in the future. We’ve already seen incredible progress through private therapy, and we want to keep building on that momentum.
Rome attends:
We would love to increase these therapies and explore additional options such as stem cell therapy or HBOT. However, even his current support costs over £1,000 per month- before travel, parking, and other expenses.
Every single session helps Rome grow stronger, and we see the difference it makes every day. But we can’t do it alone.
Thank you for taking the time to read Rome’s story, and for any support you can give – whether that’s donating, sharing, or simply following his journey.
Please feel free to follow Rome’s Journey on Instagram and Facebook
