Fun day to be held to help pay therapy bills for Knottingley toddler Lennie’s cerebral palsy treatment

A fun day at Knottingley Rugby Club will be held this weekend to help pay for Lennie Clay’s specialist treatment, which isn’t available on the NHS.

When he was four weeks old, Lennie, who was born at 27 weeks and suffered a lack of oxygen at birth, was diagnosed with a brain injury called periventricular leukomalacia before also being diagnosed with quadriplegia cerebral palsy.

Parents Candice and William, from Manor Garth in Kellington, hope that getting additional therapy to improve his condition will help him to live a more fulfilling life – but it costs them up to £900 a month.

Speaking ahead of a summer fundraiser last year, social worker Candice said: “It's upsetting and we know he will have a hard life but he's a beautiful little boy. He’s is very smiley despite having the brain injury

“He wants to be like his peers. He watches other children toddling about and you can see he wants to do it as well but his brain and muscles don't work that way.

“He is a happy and content little boy but we want to support him the best we can.”

This weekend’s fun day, which will run noon-7pm on Saturday, August 3, will feature singers Candice Honnor, Charley Knowles, Dance Addicts, Acoustic Humans, Micia Rae Brown, Pink Lemonade, Small Town Sounds, and Spencer Berry.

It will also include animal shows and entertainers, a raffle, face paintng, a funfair, bouncy castle and appearances from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Currently, Candice is providing Lennie with his therapy based on the techniques she has learned from professionals.

From research she found that early intervention would give Lennie the best chance of living the best life possible.

Candice said: “We as Lennie’s parents are doing everything possible to be able to continue taking part in private therapies, which are crucial for his development.

"The research shows that while the damage to his brain will always be apparent, new signals can be made in the brain that will help Lennie achieve his milestones with support from specialist therapies.”