Castleford mum overwhelmed at fundraiser support for one-year-old Daisy
The mum of a one-year-old girl with a life-limiting disease has thanked people who backed a fundraising campaign
Pinderfields Hospital worker Megan Furniss of Glasshoughton, hopes the generous donations mean her family will soon be able to make more memories with daughter Daisy.
Daisy was diagnosed with an incurable congenital illness called disorders of glycosylation at three months old.
Megan said: “She had a one in a million chance of having it.”
Daisy, who requires 24-hour care, needs a specialist wheelchair and is no longer safe travelling in a standard car seat.
Megan said the family need an accessible van to help Daisy travel safely and comfortably in her wheelchair.
They set up a GoFundMe appeal on July 18, which has so far raised more than £12,000 toward a £14,000 target to buy a van.
Megan said the family is “overwhelmed,” at the public’s generosity, adding: “It's going to be a lifeline. We don't know how long we have with Daisy.
"We have been told a few months or a few years. We want to make as many memories as we can.
"We hope to get her to Cornwall in September for a holiday, it's on our bucket list for her.”
Megan and husband Daniel both work as operating department practitioners at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
Megan said she will have to give up work to care for Daisy.
The couple also have a three-year-old son, Myles.
Megan said: “It turned our world upside down. We have had to get carers in five nights a week because she is in pain and is in a lot of distress a lot of the time. She has suffered brain damage.
"She likes going to Martin House Children's Hospice. She gets spoiled there.”
Megan wrote on the GoFundMe appeal page: "Our beautiful daughter, Daisy, has just turned one and lives with a rare life-limiting condition. As her condition has progressed, she now has a specialist wheelchair.
"Unfortunately, our family car can no longer meet Daisy's needs. Transferring her in and out of a standard car seat is becoming increasingly difficult, and sitting in a car seat for journeys is uncomfortable for her. At this stage in her life, keeping Daisy comfortable is our biggest priority.”
To donate, go to www.gofundme.com and search for Megan Sledmore.