Fundraiser for disabled boy from Hailsham

Tiger Pelling has multiple disabilities, cerebral palsy, global development delay, epilepsy and dystonia. This means he is non-mobile and non-verbal.

The fundraising page, which was set up by family friend Adele Dickinson, has currently raised more than £9,000. The final total will be added to the disabled facilities grant given by the local authority.

The funding page explains the problems that Tiger has been through, and how his family home cannot accommodate him properly.

Shortly after Tiger was born he needed open heart surgery and a few months later he had a massive epileptic seizure and was ventilated in intensive care. This happened again so a brain scan was done which showed brain damage.

Tiger suffers with dystonia which causes painful spasms that have been unsuccessfully treated. He also takes numerous medications.

The page says that due to Tiger’s condition, the house he is living in with his family causes several issues. The family has made the living room Tiger’s bedroom as he cannot get upstairs. They also struggle to get him in and out of the bath, something he really enjoys due to his love for water.

The family bathroom is downstairs and there is also a small kitchen but the downstairs still needs a lot of work to make it suitable for a family with a disabled child according to Ms Dickinson.

The funding page says there are funds available from the local council which would enable a basic bedroom and wet room to be added to the back of the house.

Ms Dickinson says, “While this is fantastic and appreciated it does not work with the alterations the family wish to make to the rest of the ground floor to enable Tiger to integrate with the family.

“Ideally they would have a kitchen that is big enough to have a dining table, room for activities to stimulate his sensory needs and room for a tracking hoist throughout the ground floor. They would also need to be an access ramp outside, widened doorways and suitable flooring for his wheelchair.

“Currently Tiger is unable to have outside care within the home due to there being no safety equipment for them to use.”

Ms Dickinson has put together the funding page to raise money for a kitchen, tracking hoist and other essentials to make life a bit easier for Tiger and his family.

She said, “Katie and Sid are fantastic parents to Tiger and his 10-year-old sister Tilly. They both work hard to provide for their family. It’s very difficult to care for a child with disabilities but they do so admirably and without complaint.”

Katie Pelling, Tiger’s mum, said, “We never expected to get this reaction. We never intended to do a fundraiser from this but the family have taken it upon themselves to get this set up as they could see we were really struggling.

“Tiger’s conditions have a big impact on the family especially his sister Tilly. We are often having to divide the family due to Tiger’s restrictions, this can affect Tilly in a lot of ways as she is also limited to her room due to Tiger’s bedroom being in the lounge.

“We are overwhelmed with how quickly the fundraising has taken off and how much help and support we have been offered already.

“This would make a huge difference to family life for Tiger and he’d be able to be a part of family interactions and not be stuck in his bedroom. He will be able to explore all parts of the house and finally have equipment suitable to get him walking with a walker and using a hoist. It would also mean that carers will be able to help us within the family home to care and support him.”

Sid Pelling, Tiger’s dad, said, “People have been amazing and I wonder if they know how much of a massive difference it will make to our family life.

“We have tried so hard to do everything possible ourselves but it just goes to show that sometimes you need the help of others. We are truly grateful for everything people are doing for us.”

Anyone wanting to donate can go to: https://gf.me/u/zaig3p