Small Charity Week – Freddie Bed

Small Charity Week is celebrating and promoting the wonderful work that small charities have been able to achieve throughout the UK. Freddie is a 5 year old boy born with Angelman syndrome. Angelman syndrome is a genetic disorder affecting the person’s central nervous system leading to severe physical and mental disability. Regular symptoms for this disorder include a smaller head size, regularly occurring seizures from epilepsy and being more hyperactive and excitable than usual. This hyperactivity and easily excitable nature for Freddie makes it difficult for him to sleep in a bed or cot leading to abnormal sleep patterns and putting him more at risk of injury when in a standard cot. This sleep disorder negatively affects Freddie’s body leading to further problems such as involuntary urination at night, tiredness during the day and problems with breathing. This also creates issues for Freddie’s own family who have their own sleep affected, having to care for Freddie at different intervals during the night.

Thanks to “Wake Up With Webbo from Radio Ashford”, enough money was fundraised to help provide Freddie and his family with a Flores Cot which was able to address and resolve several of the key issues which Freddie faced. He now has secure sleeping environment and his family have peace of mind and better quality of sleep. His mother was clearly happy with the Flores: “I just wanted to say that Freddie’s bed has made such a difference to our lives for us as a family. It lets us sleep better at night now we know he is safe and secure.”

The Flores Cot is a profiling bed with a high sided wooden surround designed to reduce the risk of injury to Freddie. The Flores can be made with a person’s specific physical measurements in mind with the option to have a bespoke width and height ensuring clients such as Freddie are given a Flores Cot that will fit them well. The Flores is designed with its fully profiling features and secure wooden surround to encourage and improve a child such as Freddie’s sleeping patterns. These fully profiling options along with its high/low function make it easier for his mother to access him without bending down and putting strain on her back: “We can adjust the height to make him comfortable and also makes changing him a lot easier. The mattress is wipe clean that’s great for any accidents he has.”

Another feature of the Flores is its macrolon windows which gives Freddie and his mother two key benefits. The first benefit is allowing Freddie to have visual reassurance, making the cot feel less restrictive. The second positive of the macrolon windows is that his mother can now be more relaxed knowing Freddie is not at risk of injury in his cot: “With the clear windows I can put him in there while I’m doing bits with his toys and know he is safe while I get on.”

The Flores Cot which Webbo was able to fundraise, did not just have a positive impact on Freddie but on his entire family: “I can’t fault this bed, I love it and it has made such a difference for us. Thank you for everything.”