Anonymous donor pledges £18k for fundraiser to convert bedroom for disabled boy in Tunbridge Wells
Published: 13:30, 09 October 2024
Updated: 14:02, 09 October 2024
A mum was left in tears after a mystery donor pledged £18k to help adapt her disabled son’s bedroom.
Four-year-old Kit Slessor-Pavely had a seizure at 18 months old which caused “horrendous” brain damage - leaving him unable to speak and with with epilepsy, motor dysfunction, and partial blindness.
His mum Katherine, 37, started fundraising a few years ago with hopes of turning part of their family home in Tunbridge Wells into a more accessible ground-floor bedroom and bathroom for him.
The project has been quoted at a whopping £135,000 which the family say they cannot afford on their own.
But their JustGiving page has raised more than £30,000 of its £45,000 goal - with help from an anonymous donor who gave nearly £18,000.
They posted a message which simply said: “Keep fighting Kit , your bravery knows no bounds x”
Katherine, a primary school teacher, has no idea who the generous supporter is.
She said: “We had this massive donation come in from an unknown source and it was £17,976 which just suddenly catapulted our fundraising.
“I don’t know anyone who is wealthy enough to give that amount.
“I was in a café with my friend, and I came rushing out saying ‘someone has given us £1,700’ and when she got her glasses out she told me ‘no that says £17,000.’
“We were both crying and screaming ‘oh my God’ in the middle of this café. It was amazing.
“It was just crazy because that was more money than we have made in more than two years of fundraising.
“Now we might actually get there.”
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Kit had multiple seizures linked to common causes such as tonsillitis and overheating in his first few years of life.
In 2021 he experienced his fifth seizure which lasted two hours and led to inflammation of the brain.
His mum added: “His capabilities are very narrow so he can’t sit up unaided and can’t walk without a walking frame.
“He can’t speak but he can communicate. He can smile, laugh, cry.
“He loves music, he really calms down when he listens to it, and he smiles. He loves lights and intensely watches them.
“There is only a small field of enjoyment for him because he can’t comprehend what is happening.”
The rebuild plans include a specialist £16,000 bath which provides lights, sounds, and bubbles - all of Kit’s favourite things.
Tunbridge Wells council has offered £30,000 in a discretionary fund on top of the Disabled Facilities Grant from the government - which is capped at £30,000.
However, Katherine says this cap should be increased as it is not enough for their needs, and VAT takes a huge chunk of the cash.
She added: “It is really stressful. £30,000 is not going to touch the sides.
“They need to scrap VAT on disability builds. The VAT is £20,000, so of the £30,000 they are sending us we have to send them £20,000 back. It is ludicrous.
“We have got to fundraise all of the rest, which is just crazy really.
“There are so many families in our situation where we are having to spend a lot of time and energy on fundraising, when I really want to be spending it with my son.”
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Elli Hodgson